The Raven and The Crow
by dimmy52
Summary: Mark came from a different dimension, one where Superpowers belonged in comic books and television. Now he is transported into the Titans' dimension, and he must come to terms with his new powers, and quickly, in order to save Raven from fulfilling her pr
1. Prologue: Innocent beginnings

As the decrepit bus trundled along the highway, its worn rubber tires gripping the sealed road beneath them in a desperate struggle to keep it on the road and in control, a tall, lanky teenager fussed with his tie, trying hard to remove it from around his throat in order to increase circulation to his brain. After a few attempts, he successfully pulled it off, the knot unraveling in his calloused hand with ease. As he fumbled with the remains of the knot, nothing more then creased material sitting atop his palm, his gaze slowly traveled up the cushioned seat in front of him to the window, a symbol of freedom and rescue in his eyes. The trees rushed by in a brilliant spectacle of green and brown, and he sighed at the fact that he still had a good half-hour to travel on his school bus. He thought of what was planned tonight, however, and a smile slowly invaded his face, the edge of his lip creeping up from his chin to his cheek. At this thought, however, he was reminded of something. He turned around and gently poked the sleeping figure of his friend and classmate, Mark. "Hey Mark! what've you got planned tonight?"

The figure slowly stirred beneath his dark red blazer in a futile attempt to ward off his good friend, but it was to no avail. The blazer was quickly removed from his face and revealed a pale boy of sixteen years. He had bright blue eyes, and his dark black hair was messy beyond belief. He had not used a comb in three years, he boasted, as if that was actually something to be proud of. He wore his school uniform, much like his friend, but unlike his friend, however, his uniform was still intact. His tie sat neatly perched underneath his throat, with every button done on his pale blue school shirt. The state his uniform was in directly contradicted the state he kept his hair. He was a small boy, neither tall and lanky, nor short and overweight. He blinked once, twice, in order to get his eyes back in focus, and also to provide a few extra seconds so his mind could comprehend what he had been asked. He removed his Sony headphones, which were playing 'Crawling' By Linkin Park. With a slight yawn, he replied.

"Nothing much dude. I gotta finish these Chapter summaries by Monday or I think I'm gonna get the strap." Mark replied sarcastically, as he always did. His friend, Jimmy, was used to this, and simply brushed it off as 'Mark' humour.  
"haha...Yeah ok man whatever. Listen, if you manage to get those chapter summaries done, come to the cinema. Me and a few others are gonna watch this sick movie called Constantine." Jimmy remarked happily, pleased once again at what he had arranged for the night.

"Heh. Yeah I'll see." Mark replied half-heartedly, and with that he replaced his headphones back over his ears, signaling the end of whatever conversation they had. Jimmy's voice, and the Linkin Park song now replaced with Michael Gray's "The weekend", Mark sighed inwardly and looked out the dusty window of a bus that simply defied all rules he learnt at school that day simply by running. He didn't feel like going out. He was getting swamped with homework, and he didn't want any distractions. Couldn't _afford _any. Jimmy didn't bother replying. He expected as much anyway. Sometimes he wondered why he was even friends with him. At his previous schools, kids like Mark were always the ones who were picked on, bullied and teased. At this school, however, things were different. No-one picked on Mark. The school didn't _seem _any different; kids just avoided him all together. Jimmy was never the type to bully kids, but the other students knew that they shouldn't cross paths with him. With a shrug of resignation he turned back to face the front and stare out the window, counting down the seconds until he reached his home.

Mark's eyelids were drooping, and the lulling call of the Sirens in his ears, for he was now listening to one of his younger sister's songs that had found its way onto his mp3 player, Destiny's child, seemed too much for him to bear. And so, with the rhythmic bouncing of the school bus, coupled with the tunes belted out onto his eardrums, Mark was soon lulled into a deep sleep, one that he may never wake up from...


	2. Awakening

A dangerous red flashed on and off, and wailing klaxons screamed their terribly cry. A relatively small teenager, sixteen years of age, ran towards the main computer console, his black and yellow cape flapping behind him due to the sudden movement. If he were dressed in such attire in Mark's world, he would be deemed crazy, or he would be mistaken for a costumed party-goer. He wore a red shirt that covered his torso, with a yellow emblem shaped like an 'R' on his left breast. A green glove covered each arm, reaching the elbow, where it ceased, living the joint exposed until the green sleeve of his short-sleeved shirt covered his shoulder. He wore green pants, which ended inside steel-tipped black combat boots. To top this bizarre outfit off, he wore a belt around his waist that equipped him with all sorts of useful tools and weapons, and a black and white mask that concealed his identity from all, even his closest friends. His brow furrowed, his masked eyes creased in concentration as he attempted to locate the source of the disturbance. After a few frenetic minutes of searching, his eyes widened in surprise, before once again narrowing in dogged determination. He turned towards his fellow team-mates and close friends, and barked an order.

"Titans! Trouble at the old docks!" With that, Robin the Boy Wonder was out in a flash. Closely following him was Cyborg, a half-metal, half-human teenager with a sonic cannon at the ready on his left arm. He wore no costume, as he had barely any skin to cover up. His body was largely cybernetic, due to a horrific accident many years ago that shattered his dreams of becoming a sporting legend. Now he fights for justice, holding no grudge against the world that had turned its back on him that fateful day. He was amazingly strong, his mechanical features able to handle extraordinary amounts of weight and pressure. His human eye was full of determination, whereas his robotic eye glowed a sinister red, showing no emotion. Following Cyborg, An alluring and mysterious teenage girl named Raven. She took to the skies, her uniform a dark purple, almost black, skintight leotard, much like a one-piece swimsuit. Covering her curves almost completely was a dark blue cloak, with the cape flowing behind her and the hood covering her beautiful short purple hair, but failing to conceal her deep violet eyes, full of sadness, resentment, yet strangely, of hope as well. Her amazing telekinetic powers are something no-one should ever stand against, her demonic powers, passed down by an unwanted birth and an unwelcome father, a force to be reckoned with. Beside her, a seemingly ordinary green peregrine falcon flew above the rest of his team-mates. This falcon was definitely not ordinary, however. Named Beast-boy, he is the smallest of the group, overshadowed even by his female team-mates, but with arguably the biggest powers in terms of sheer muscle and strength. In his human form, he wore a purple and black body suit that covered his arms and legs, apart from his feet, on which he wore purple hiking boots. Whilst human he may be the smallest, Beast-boy has the amazing power of being able to shape-shift into every single mammal, reptile, bird or alien creature known and unknown to man, even extinct ones. Finally, taking up the rear, a naive alien girl named Starfire followed her friends, green eyes flashing and her hands pulsating with glowing green solar energy. She wore a purple and green halter top, accentuating her tall, elegant body, along with a purple skirt and tall, bright purple boots. Her gorgeous, flowing red hair trailed behind her and her slightly orange skin glowing. Together, they were known as the Teen Titans. A group of teenagers with amazing powers who fought the evil-doers of their world.

_Their world... what about ours? _

It was cold. A shiver crept up his back, and Mark awoke with a start. He was no longer on the decrepit school bus, traveling home after a long day at school. He was in an empty warehouse, devoid of life, except for the occasional disease-riddled rat or two. Not a sound was heard, until a loud "Clop" pierced the dull air. Mark searched for the source of the noise, as he was certain it was a footstep by heavy-duty boot. He didn't have to search for long, as the perpetrator of the noise soon spoke up. "Hello, Mark. How nice to finally meet you. I must say, I was astounded when I first heard about your powers. You are special. Indeed, you are _unique. _Quite similar to Raven. But when I heard about your _parents_, I was pleasantly shocked. You have no idea, do you? About your powers, what you are capable of." A lethal voice penetrated the empty air, dripping with contempt. The source of the voice was a powerfully built man drenched in shadow. He wore a black body suit that hugged his skin, emphasizing his strong build. Draped across his shoulder and waist were utility belts, much similar to what Robin wore, but where Robin's tools and weapons were largely non-lethal, these were. Around his collar area was a metallic plate that covered and protected his neck, and he wore a metal face mask, his left side a dull orange, and his right an endless black. On the orange side, an eyehole was present, and a heartless blue eye could be seen. The menacing blue eye was staring at Mark for the moment, studying him; much like a hunter stalks his prey. Mark broke the silence first this time.

"Who are you? Where am I? What...What is this place? How did I..." Mark was interrupted by a deafening bang, followed by a resounding crash as half the wall of the warehouse collapsed under the weight of Beast-Boy in elephant form.

"I don't know how you came back, but I do know how you're going back, Slade. Titans! Go!" Robin remarked, and with the command issued, Cyborg unleashed a devastating attack with his sonic cannon, only to be deflected by a shield of fire that enveloped Slade and the dazed teenager.

"Robin. You do realize that you and your pathetic group of friends will never defeat me. Not with my new apprentice." He replied snidely, taunting the Titans and enraging Robin. With that, Slade the mercenary attacked the Titans with massive balls of flame which erupted from the palm of his hands, the heat more then enough to melt steel and bone alike. The Titans had already scattered, however, and the blistering fireballs snaked their way through the empty warehouse, slamming into nearby walls and exploding. The Titans were preparing attacks of their own, however, and with a frightening "Ki-ya!", Robin swung at Slade with his high-tech staff. Every blow was aimed at his head, but Slade had already un-holstered his staff, and began parrying with Robin. He swung at Slade once more, but it was deflected yet again, and Slade landed a punch in Robin's chest. As Robin recovered, Slade reared his staff back to deliver a lethal blow, but out of nowhere, perhaps he was a mere beetle on the floor, Beast-boy came charging in, his T-Rex mass unstoppable, and knocked Slade off his feet. While Slade struggled to get to his feet, the mysterious girl with the demonic powers had just finished muttering her unique incantation "Azerath Metrion ZINTHOS!" and an unfortunate row-boat that had been moored outside shot in through the shattered wall and slammed into the dangerous Mercenary, shattering into a million splinters and once again knocking him to the ground. From the depths of the warehouse, the alien girl came next, swooping down from the air, much like a pilot doing a bomb-run, but instead of dropping bombs, she fired deadly green bolts of energy from her hands and eyes with lethal accuracy. The star-bolts struck their target and Slade, now extremely angry at such an intrusion, shot fire-tendrils back in an attempt to distract the Titans as he made his escape. He looked back down at Mark, whose eyes were wide with shock and horror. "Do you see what they are trying to do? They wish to kill your only friend. Are you going to let them do that?" Slade asked, mocking and teasing him. After receiving no reply, his eye narrowed and he spat his final warning to the Titans. "Believe me, Titans, your time will come. One by one you will fall, and I will be back for my apprentice." He threatened as he flew off.

"His apprentice? dude! how many apprentices does this guy NEED? can't he do the work himself?" Beast-Boy said in genuine shock, his voice echoing off the remaining walls of the warehouse as he approached Mark. Cyborg shot his arm out, halting Beast-Boy's progression, as a word of warning escaped his lips.

"Wait BB! It could be a trap. let us handle it." Robin joined Cyborg in holding the Changeling back as they approached Mark with caution. Beast-Boy decided against struggling, as he knew Cyborg was right.

A Dark figure emerged from the darkness, her short purple hair waving in the night's breeze that invaded the atmosphere from the shattered wall. Mark was stunned momentarily at her sudden appearance, but the shock melted away from his face and he felt strangely serene. For the time being, anyway.

"_Who are you? What is your name?" Thoughts, where do they come from…_

"_Mark…" _

Raven opened her eyes and turned to her male team-mates.

"It's not a trap. His mind is full of fear and confusion, he doesn't even know what he's doing here or why he was brought here." She remarked in a monotonous voice. The Goth girl slowly lowered herself to the ground and started walking towards Mark as well, adding to his fear and confusion.

"Perhaps he is a friend? Do you wish to be our friend? we have plenty of nuts-of-dough to share!" The naive Starfire said joyfully as she flew towards Mark, her voice like a lullaby that lightened his heart. He didn't know why, but he felt _welcomed _at the sound of her voice. That didn't cause him to think about his reply, however.

"Who are you people? Why am I here? What is this WORLD? I have never heard of a place like this! Who the HELL is SLADE? Will somebody please answer my Questions?" Mark was getting visibly agitated, but as he grew angrier, an astonishing thing happened. An ambient yellow glow enveloped his messy black hair. Faintly at first, and the Titans didn't believe their eyes, instead opting to settle for the fact that it was a mere trick of the moonlight beaming in upon the strange teenager from a narrow window near the ceiling. However, the more his voice rose, the brighter his hair became, until it was impossible to disregard such an event. It was literally sparking with fury, and the heat that pervaded it was extremely hot, so the Titans had to shy away from the incandescence and the awesome radiance. Shadows covered his eyes, his pupils dilating and re-focusing in quick succession, and they grew darker, until they were black and soulless. Flames erupted on his palms and enveloped his hand with amazing force. _Blue _Flames. Raven lingered back, eyeing the sudden changes with increasing trepidation. The symptoms were similar, similar to her own, but with a spark of understanding, she realized that they were similar in a way that black and white are similar. On polar ends of the scale, and yet with properties that were undeniably reminiscent of one another.

_He's just like me! _

"You must remain calm. Do not let your emotions control you. Otherwise, your powers will consume you." Raven said, in as comforting a tone as possible.

_I don't 'do' comfort..._

Marks' black eyes widened in disbelief, he obviously had not seen nor felt the changes that his body had undertaken.

"Powers? But I don't... well I never did... but...I don't have POWERS!" He yelled in anger, a bolt of lightning emerging from his fiery hair and striking the ceiling above, showering everyone in a brilliant array of sparks. Mark's breathing started to quicken, and with cold dread and apprehension, he raised his hands and studied them for a moment.

_They are on fire, and yet I'm not burnt. _

Mark couldn't take it anymore, his breath quickened almost to the point of hyperventilation, and he looked around him desperately, like a caged animal, trying to find a way out of this nightmare that was now reality.

"You've got to relax. Find your centre." Raven said desperately, but it was no use, Mark was beyond the point of reason. His surroundings spun wildly, his vision blurred, and it all overwhelmed Mark. So with a last cry of help, he fell, into the gloved hands of a Titan.


	3. Denial

_"I was astounded when I first heard about your powers...special...Raven."_

_My parents... my home... where are they? Must find my home...I'm surrounded by people who want to hurt me. I must escape! You can't restrain the Crow! NO-ONE CAN! _

Mark was sleeping, and for the second time that day, he awoke in a radically different position then where he fell asleep. His body may have been resting, but his mind was restless. Thoughts, sinister thoughts, were ever-present, thoughts that he never had before he was brought here. A cold chill traveled up his spine and he shivered instinctively.

_It's cold in here…_

There was a swoosh sound as the door to Mark's new bedroom slid open, revealing a Mark engulfed in blue flames, and a pile of grey ashes which used to be a bed beneath him. The Titans stood at the doorway, momentarily stunned, and Mark sat up slowly, trying to comprehend the situation he was in. Beast-Boy was the first to speak.

"Dude! What did you DO? You know how much that bed cost? I am so not using my Moped money for a new bed." He said, too sleepy to put any anger behind his words. Raven studied Mark for the second time, and once again noted how similar they were. With a slightly concerned tone, he asked if he was alright.

"Are...You ok?" Mark didn't answer for a moment, instead eyeing the teenagers crowded just outside his doorway. They seemed almost… afraid to come in.

"Uh yeah. Yeah I'm fine. I think I'll go back to sleep now." He said robotically, and with that Mark turned and made himself comfortable on the pile of ashes that was now his mew bed and drifted back to sleep, under five pairs of astonished eyes.

"Oh...K? That was weird. But he does have a good idea. I'm going to bed." Raven remarked and she spun quickly on the balls of her feet and walk off into the darkened corridor towards her room. Sleep soon caught up with the rest of the Titans as well, the short-lived experience now ebbing away and becoming a mere memory in their minds, and they soon joined Raven in returning to their respective rooms, leaving Mark lying on his pile of ashes trying to figure out what the Hell is going on.

A familiar smell wafted into Marks room that morning. It came seeping up the stairs and drifted under his door, filling his room with a faint bacon scent. Mark awoke to this smell, the same smell he woke to nearly every day back at home. He blinked, as if trying to blink away his room, but it was hopeless. With a slight sigh, he tumbled from his ashes that he lay upon and started his way down to the living area.

"Rise and shine, sleepy-heads! I have a breakfast feast a-la bacon and eggs ready downstairs! But it's first come, first serve, so be quick." Cyborg stated, posing a challenge to anyone who wished to eat well. Within three minutes, Robin and Beast-Boy came running down first, followed closely by Starfire and her pet mutated caterpillar Silkie. Raven was the last of the team to descend the stairs, and Mark came down quietly a few minutes later. Cyborg served up the breakfast to everybody, disregarding his previous threat, and the Team started eating, except for Beast-Boy, who was a vegetarian, and Raven, who simply didn't feel like eating. Beast-Boy instead opted for some left-over tofu and orange juice, whereas Raven boiled herself some herbal tea. With a sharp clatter, Robin released his spoon and let it drop on to his plate. He turned to Mark, who was standing and simply surveying the living-room, and started to speak.

"We have a few things to discuss, newcomer. Firstly, come and get something to eat." Robin offered a chair to the 'Newcomer' with a slight smile.

"What may we call you, friend? Starfire asked.

"Uhhh... Mark, I guess." Mark replied hesitantly, fidgeting with his school uniform that he still wore. He started to pull at his tie, and it slowly came off, unraveling in his hand, much like Jimmy's. He held his tie with a limp wrist and a half closed fist as he listened for the next question.

"How did you come by here, friend Mark and why?" Starfire continued, her green eyes beaming with curiosity.

"Um, I don't know, and...I don't know." Was all Mark could say. He didn't feel like talking, but then again, he never did, and talking seemed like the only way to get answers, so he decided to ask the next question.

"Who are you people?" He asked.

"I am Starfire!" The alien girl replied, almost immediately. "The green one is Beast Boy, our mechanical friend who made this fast-of-breaking is Cyborg, that is Raven reading the book and Robin is the one with the mask and cape!" Mark followed her finger to every member, but his stare lingered at Raven, feeling instantly attracted to her.

Raven enjoyed reading. It was her favorite pass-time, and every time she read, she felt as if she was being absorbed into the story, becoming nothing more then words that eloquently described adventures of fantastical heroes of old. However, her concentration would ultimately be broken, either by the ending of the book, or by the disruption of peace by her fellow Team-mates. Today was no different, and with a sigh of objection, she snapped her book shut loudly and looked up.

Mark quickly averted his gaze, his pale cheeks slowly reddening.

_Great. That move was soo not suspicious._

Raven eyed him with a raised eyebrow, before standing up and walking back to her room, cup of tea in one hand and her book in the other. Mark quickly shot a look at her retreating back before turning to ask the next question.

"Uh, ok. Why am I here? The place where I'm from has no-one with special powers. Not even me. And as soon as I came here I light my hands on fire without burning them...somehow...and turn your bed into a pile of ash! How does that work?" Mark was getting angry, and it was clearly visible through his hair. It was starting to glow a vibrant yellow once again.

"You must control your emotions. You can not afford to get angry. You are...well...you're like me." It was Raven who spoke this time, and everyone turned to her with shocked expressions. No-one had seen her come in, and her presence here was slightly unexpected.

"What th- When did you come back? So quickly? You just- I mean- It was- Whoa…" Beast-Boy fumbled with words for a second, before giving up with a cheesy 'whoa' and sinking back into his Tofu.

"I forgot the sugar." Raven replied simply. She perused through the cupboards, scouring every shelf for any sign of the sugar. She found what she was looking for before long, and stood up and poured sugar into her tea, a bored expression upon her face. With a sigh of resignation, she looked up and met the gaze of almost every Titan in the room. In a bored tone, she replied. "it's true. The other night when we fought Slade, I saw you get angry, I felt it. The angrier you got, the more powerful you became. Like...me." Raven couldn't believe it either. Every word that rolled over her lips directly contradicted every thought she had been brought up to think throughout her sixteen years of life.

_There is someone else like me! _

Beast-Boy groaned despairingly.

"That's just great. Now we have TWO Ravens here. TWO! I mean, one is ba..." Beast-Boy never got to finish that sentence, as not one, but two Ravens were glaring at him maliciously.

_Quick thinking needed, BB._

"Hehe… What I was gonna say is that, you need a cooler name. You can't be named Raven, coz that's already been taken. So how 'bout, Shadow?"

_Nice one_

More glaring.

"Fire-ice?" The glaring continues.

"OK I got it. This is awesome. Dark-man." Beast-Boy looked up from his ponderings and, seeing their faces, shape-shifted into a rat very quickly.

"Actually, I think I already have a name. The Crow" Mark, replied, glad that he at least knew something, even if it did disturb him.

"That's a pretty sweet name. Where did you get that?" Cyborg asked, finishing his bacon at last.

"Uh... It just sorta came into my mind now, actually." Mark lied.

"Well, Crow, I guess you-" Robin started to say, but he was interrupted by flashing red lights and wailing klaxon sirens. For a split-second, he seemed unsure as to why he was interrupted, but his face soon turned to steel resolve, and turned and shouted to the rest of the Titans.

"Titans! Trouble! Crow, you're coming with us!" With that, everyone was out in a second, followed by a very confused Mark, half running, half pulled by Beast-Boy. "Come ON! We gotta go! Can't you fly?" He yelled exasperatedly. Before Mark could answer, Raven landed behind them.

"Beast Boy. Go. I'll help Mark." BB opened his mouth to object, butthought the better of it andmerely shrugged and shape-shifted into pterodactyl form as he flew off. "Ok Mark, or Crow. You can fly, I know. But you have to find your center. You must remain calm." Raven said in an almost lulling tone. Mark was getting annoyed at her eternally calm exterior composure.

"I don't know how! I don't meditate! How can I fly...Aaahhh! I'm flying! HELP!" Mark was up in a flash, heading straight towards the ceiling of the Titans Tower living room. With a painful CRASH! He was through.

"Well...Not what I expected, but it works." Raven remarked as she flew off to calm Mark.

"Mark, listen to me. You have to calm down. Clear your mind of fears. Slowly find your center and level out." Raven said as she followed Mark.

Mark heard her voice, her soothing tone, andconcentrated on overcoming this obstacle. He started to relax, and his hairslowly reverted back to its original black color. Inch by inch, hestraightened out.He stopped flailing his arms and instead closed his eyes and imagined he was floating in water. It worked, and he eventually came to a halt."Good work. Now we have to follow the others. Follow me." Raven said with genuine surprise and a raised eyebrow. Mark followed Raven as she sped towards Robin's locator signal. She didn't have to fly very far, and before long the familiar faces of Cinderblock, Plasmus and Overload came into view. "Azerath Metrion-" Before she could finish her incantation, however, a large, dark figure swooped in from behind her and, grabbing her by the waist, sped off towards an abandoned part of town, away from prying eyes. Except for Mark's, that is. He was the only one who witnessed this brutal attack, and since all the rest were pre-occupied with the gargantuan villains, he was the only one who could save her.


	4. Acceptance

_"What are you doing? You can't even FLY!" the voice. It mocked, teased, laughed at him. _

_"Shut up. SHUT UP!" _

_"Hahahahahaha..." The laughter faded into the darkness..._

"Raven? Are you there?" Mark questioned the shadows as he landed rather clumsily on a pile of discarded garbage bags. It was still fairly early in the morning, but the irregular placement of the brick walls blocked the sun's rays and cast long and depressing shadows all around Mark. He heard a 'Clop' and his muscles tensed.

"Hahaha... Mark. Or should I say, The Crow? How touching, the Raven and The Crow, a match made in Heaven. But perhaps a more fitting term would be Hell." He recognized that voice.  
"Slade? Who are you? Leave Raven alone!" Mark said as he approached what he thought to be the source of the sinister voice.

"Oh please. I would never hurt Raven. She is essential to all my plans. The same way I would never hurt you, my Apprentice. You are too important." Slade replied slowly, his sky-blue eye surveying Mark once again.

"Why am I important? Why am I here? Did you bring me here?" Mark continued with his questions, and even though he was what Mark figured to be 'The Bad Guy', he thought that perhaps Slade had the answers.

"I can't take all the credit, Mark. Raven's daddy played a large part as well. You see, when I heard about your powers, I was astonished at the similarities between you and Raven. Your powers are controlled by your emotions, much like Raven's, and your parents, even though you aren't related, your mother was from the Dimension that Raven's father is from. Such powers were going to waste, however, so I decided to step in and rescue you from your dreary dimension and transport you into mine." His eye flashed and narrowed at the word 'mine' and he leapt down and landed in front of Mark with a crash, an unconscious Raven in his arms.

"Let her GO!" Mark growled, his hair brightening. He didn't know why he was so protective of Raven. Perhaps it was because she was most like him, or perhaps she showed him the most attention. Regardless of the reason, his eyes were darkening, and flames were spouting from his fists.

"What are you doing? You can't even fly..." Slade mocked.

The voice... Then it clicked. Slade must die. Mark's eyes widened in horror, but they were no longer Mark's. The turned pitch black, and Crow took over.

Anger had evaporated from Crow's eyes, so only hate and sorrow remained. He realized that he had the power to kill Slade in an instant. "You will pay for your crimes." Crow said quietly.

"Hehe... you can not hope to defeat me." Slade mocked, and with that he charged at the glowing Crow, eyes full of anger, his biggest mistake. "Aaaarrgghh!" Slade screamed in pain as his gloved fist smoked. Crow was enveloped in blue flames, and Slade was unable to land a punch "You will pay...I will make you pay, Slade." Slade's eye widened in fear, full of realization. "He's going to kill me..."

Massive fire tendrils erupted from Slade's palms as he tried to fend off Crow. They shot towards Crow and entangled him, restricting his movement. As Mark struggled against his bonds, Slade withdrew his staff and approached him, ready to strike. With a cry of hatred, Crow broke his bonds, and raced towards Slade, his fist drawn back and ready to strike Slade. Mark swung, but Slade dodged the punch, but he was careful not to retaliate with his fist, as Crow was still engulfed in fire. Crow took this opportunity to withdraw his knee and drive it into Slade's chest, knocking the wind out of him. Slade stumbled back, trying desperately to recover. Crow approached Raven, knelt down and gently picked her up. Slade saw the scene unfold, and with a roar he charged towards the duo. He never reached them, however, as a devastating blue sonic blast caught him directly in the chest and threw him back through a brick wall. Crow approached the fallen form of Slade, Raven still in his arms, and with a grim smile, he started speaking.

"You will pay, Slade. But not today." Slade didn't reply, as he didn't see the need to. He knew what Mark and Crow were capable of, and he had learnt plenty. Within moments he had vanished into the shadows of the alley. Silence befell the Titans as they looked upon the limp form of Raven. "Raven? Is she- is she ok?" It was Beast-Boy who spoke first. "Ugh. Help." Was all Crow could say, before he collapsed onto his knees, still cradling Raven in his arms. Robin and Cyborg quickly approached and held Mark steady as Robin gently took Raven's limp body from Mark. With a sigh, Mark fell on his back, his heart beating rapidly and his chest rising and falling with each inhale and exhale of breath.


	5. Explanations

"_Do you see? You NEED me!" What do you mean…_

"_If it wasn't for me, Raven would be dead!" Please stop…_

"Raven's going to be fine. She just suffered a mild hit to the head, that's all. She's just resting in the infirmary." Robin said quietly to Cyborg, careful not to disturb Raven.

Cyborg nodded. He jerked his head towards Mark's room as he began to speak.

"What about him? What are we going to do?"

Robin thought for a moment, trying to come up with a logical solution. He turned towards Mark's room and replied.

"We are going to ask him to become a Teen Titan."

Cyborg eyed Robin wearily.

"Robin man, I don't think that's a good idea. Don't you remember what happened last time with-." Cyborg lowered his voice slightly, careful not to draw attention to what he was going to say next. "With Terra? She betrayed us Robin." Of course Robin remembered, but his mind was made up.

"Cy, would you rather him be on our side or theirs? He's very confused now, and also vulnerable. We have to help him, and we might as well use what powers he has also."

Robin was right, once again. Cyborg was amazed at the logic his mind contained. He simply shrugged and replied.

"Your call."

_"Not today, huh? You may have defeated me... but now I... will defeat YOU!"_

_More laughter... make it stop. No more._

_"All in due time, Crow. You and Raven will serve my plans."_

Mark emerged from his room, his school uniform now disheveled and wrinkled. Half his shirt hung outside his trousers, and he had lost a button during the battle with Slade. He shuffled slowly towards the living room and sat himself down on the floor near the rear of the room. Robin approached him with a smile, and took a seat beside him.

"You have quite a power Mark. I've never seen anything like it" Robin said seriously.

Mark looked at Robin and, with a small grin, he replied "Me neither. Mind telling me where it came from?"

Robin chuckled slightly, and reached back into his rear pocket and withdrew a Teen Titans communicator.

"How would you like to be a Teen Titan?" Robin asked, his hand outstretched with the communicator. Mark eyed the small circular piece of equipment for a moment, thinking about his options. He nodded slowly.

"Sure, ok. If it helps me find a way back home, then no problem." He reached out and took the communicator, trying hard to hide his excitement.

_Two days ago, I had one good friend. Now, I have five, and then there's Raven…_

Robin smiled once again and stood up.

"Welcome to the team, Crow." He said as he extended his hand.

"Thank you, sir!" Mark said happily as he took the hand and shook it. Robin looked back at the rest of the Titans watching TV, and he jerked his head towards them as he replied.

"Come sit with the rest of your friends, Mark. You have just as much right to, as you're a Titan now." Mark nodded and walked towards the couch.

They spent the rest of the day watching TV and playing GameStation. Mark merely watched, but he enjoyed every second. He was offered the controller many times, but Mark politely refused. No warning bells sounded, and no sirens wailed, emphasizing the fact that the city was at peace for the time being, and so were the Teen Titans.

"_They aren't your friends, Mark. I'm your only friend. ME!" Shut up Crow…_

"_Heh, I will never cease talking. I'll always be here Mark, and you know it." I'll find a way to get rid of you…_

"_HA! The only way to get rid of me is by getting rid of yourself! Besides, you need me!" I don't need you…_

"GASP!" Mark bolted upright in his new bed, cold sweat dripping from his face. Mark lifted his hands just in time to see the flames dissipate.

"Why is this happening to me? What do those dreams mean?" He asked himself.

Mark sighed and looked out his window. It was dawn, so he decided to get up and go for an early morning stroll.

He walked out of his bedroom and strolled down the long corridor, careful not to wake his new friends. As he strolled by Raven's door, he hesitated. He heard a faint melody emerging from the cracks in her door. He approached her room carefully, and he realized that it wasn't a melody, but rather an incantation that Raven was muttering. He placed his ear to the door and he could hear faint chanting of "Azerath...Metrion...Zinthos..." He was surprised that Raven was awake; it was 6.30 in the morning.

"I shouldn't be doing this... why am I doing this..." He raised his fist and knocked, once, twice, his heart pounding in his ears. The chanting stopped and footsteps were heard approaching the door from the inside. The door slid slightly ajar and Raven peeked out from the darkness of her room. "What?" She asked.

"Er… How do you feel? Last night n'all…" Mark asked nervously.

Raven's eyes narrowed beneath her hood.

"Peachy." She replied, and began to close the door.

"Uh, Raven? Last night, about my powers, you knew more about them then I did, and I was wandering, are they, um, like yours? Like what, you know, Slade said?" Mark said quickly, before Raven closed the door on him.

Raven didn't answer for a moment, and then she opened her door and stepped outside. She was about as tall as Mark, the tip of her hood reaching the top-most point of Mark's unkempt hair.

"Just so you know, no-one enters my room." Raven said abruptly. Mark smiled at this, but quickly stopped once he realized that she wasn't smiling with him.

"Slade said a lot of things last night, Mark. If it wasn't for you, I could've been dead, so I guess the least I can do is offer you an explanation." She said with an exhaling of breath. She sat him down, and began to explain. About her history, her powers, her parents and how they were alike.

"But I... ok. When I was flying towards where Slade took you, I heard these voices. They weren't just random words strung together from past experiences, either. Slade said those exact words when I faced him. That's what made me hate him so much. And just before, I heard more words, words that frightened me, because they might actually have some meaning in the near future." Raven didn't say anything. She was studying him.

_"He is like me...there is someone else like me..."_

"They're called visions. I have them too. I try to ignore them, mostly. You should too. When I meditate, it helps me remain calm, and there are no visions to bother my sleep." Raven stated.

"Oh...well...Do you reckon you can teach me to meditate? I mean...since we are alike and all, I guess I may need to meditate as well, to keep my powers in control." Mark asked, unsure whether he did the right thing. Raven looked at him again. "You...You really want to meditate with me?" She said in a disbelieving tone.

"_No-one wants to meditate with me... even Starfire stopped. They think I'm too creepy..."_

"Well, yeah. Sure I mean, if it'll help me to control my powers, why not? I hope you don't mind me asking, I know we haven't known each other for very long but..." Mark trailed off, unsure as to what to say next. Raven shook her head.

"No. I mean, it's not a problem. I can help you meditate. We can start now." Raven crossed her legs and closed her eyes. "Just cross your legs and close your eyes and be _calm._ Let your emotions drain away."

Mark slowly closed his eyes and crossed his legs as they both faced the gargantuan window that enveloped the wall of the living room, and before long, Mark was meditating under a magnificent sunrise right beside her.


	6. Visions

A large figure trudged into the room, its arms raised to its face in a feeble attempt to rub the sleep out of its eyes. As Cyborg looked around, he noticed the two teenagers sitting and meditating underneath the massive window.

"When did you guys wake up?" Cyborg asked. Mark's peace was shattered at the sound of Cyborg's booming voice and he returned to reality, opening his eyes quickly and standing up. His cheeks turned crimson as he checked his watch to reply.

"Uh, about..." He glanced at the time "two hours ago..." He said, almost as shocked as Cyborg.

"You guys were up at 6.30? damn..." He shrugged his massive shoulders and went to make some breakfast. Raven stood up slowly, and looked at Mark with her azure eyes.

"Well, that was...nice." She said shyly.

Mark averted his gaze, his black school shoes suddenly seemed terribly interesting. "Yeah, I enjoyed it. I think it really helped me. We should do it again... perhaps."

Raven gave a slight smile. It was hardly noticeable, but it was there, and it literally made Mark's day. His heart nearly burst out of his ribcage, pounding desperately against its bony prison.

"Yeah, we should." With that, Raven left for the solace of her bedroom.

"I can see you and Rae are gettin' close, but just be careful. She has been hurt before, and she doesn't trust anyone easily. You guys are so alike it's creepy, maybe that's why she has opened up to you so freely." Cyborg said, with one eye on the eggs he was preparing and the other on Mark.

Mark merely looked at him and nodded. He understood what it was like.

* * *

The morning passed without incident, which was a first for the Teen Titans. Perhaps Crow simply scared Slade. But that seems unlikely, as Slade doesn't scare easy, according to the Titans. He was planning something.

* * *

_"You think they're your friends...you have nothing."_

_"You are pathetic, you will lose. Your power will overcome you and consume you."_

_Don't say that..._

_"He is NOTHING LIKE YOU!" It was that voice..._

With a strained cough, Raven opened her eyes. Fire engulfed her vision, _Blue _Fire. It surrounded her, consuming her room with ferocity and relentless aggression. The fire was whipped into frenzy, a maelstrom of cataclysmic heat and destruction. Blue flames crept up the walls, peeling the paint upon it and ravaging her bookshelves filled with tomes of knowledge, her only solace. "No!" Was all she managed to say before smoke mingled with precious oxygen filled her lungs. Her hands shot up and grabbed her throat, desperately trying to ease the pain of every breath she took.

"Stop it! Get out of my HEAD!" She yelled as she shut her eyes desperately, attempting to extinguish the fire that raged in her mind.

There was no more sound, no more thick smoke restricting her access to oxygen, and no more heat melting her walls and burning her books. She opened her eyes slowly, and the flames were no more. It was dead quiet once again, just the way she enjoyed it most. Nothing was burnt; no damage had been done to her room. There was nothing that hinted to the fact that her room, and quite possibly the whole Tower, was up in flames just moments ago.

"_Do you see what he will do? He will destroy you, and your friends. You are powerless to change his future." No… He won't do that… He's a friend now, a Titan._

"_Terra was a Titan too. What did she do, Raven? What?" Terra was… She was… misguided. Mark is different._

"_Ha! Listen to what you are saying! Do you really believe that?"_

Did she?

Raven stood up and shook her head, her dark purple hair pulsating to the direction of her displacement, in an attempt to clear her thoughts of these visions. She walked to her door, her feet lightly striking the carpeted floor of her room. She placed her palm on the lock, and with a final glance around her room unlocked it. She stepped outside and proceeded to check the time, but the shrill cry of warning bells erupted around her and engulfed the rest of the Tower.


	7. Virtuoso

Robin's steel-capped boots landed with a rough 'Clop' on the dirt outside the Tower, his cape floating down over him, and the obscure moonlight casting awkward shadows over his still body. Behind him, Cyborg's massive frame lumbered into view, his distinguishing features hidden from the moonlight, leaving only a sinister silhouette.

Starfire flew above them, green light emanating from her hands and casting eerie shadows upon the rest of the Titans. Beast-Boy remained in human form as he walked towards the side of the group, his arms crossed and a smug look upon his face as he and the rest of the Titans awaited Robin's next move. Raven and Mark approached lastly, emerging from the Tower like deadly shadows emerging from the depths of Hell, awaiting to claim their next victim. Robin eyed his team from behind his mask, and with slight apprehension towards the newest member of his team, he began to speak.

"Titans. The Tower Mainframe stated that there was a disturbance at the park. Raven, I want you to look out for Mark, until he gets a grip of his powers. Everyone else, focus solely on the task at hand. Bringing down the Bad guy, got that? Good. Now, everyone in the T-Car." Robin said firmly as he proceeded towards Cyborg's newest and favourite creation, the pristine white and blue fusion powered car parked in the garage. Everyone piled in, and with a silly smile on his face, Cyborg pressed the ignition button. A course roar emanated from beneath the hood, and Cyborg was happy.

The T-Car skidded to a halt in front of the Jump City park. The Titans slowly piled out of the car, Cyborg muttering to himself about the lack of usage when it came to the turbo thrusters of the vehicle. They all eyed the towering brass gates with diffidence, the only sounds issuing form beyond them mere bird chirping and various nocturnal creatures carrying on with their basic instincts.

Beast-Boy turned and looked at Robin, uncertainty in his eyes.

"Dude? You sure you read it properly?" He quickly asked. Robin turned and glared at the Green changeling.

"I don't make mistakes." He said through gritted teeth.

"Of course you don't, Robin. But really, does anyone?" A voice emerged from the depths and shadows of the park, its mocking tone taunting and teasing.

"What are you talking about? Of course they do!" Robin yelled back into the darkness.

"Tut Tut Robin, you are so Naïve. There is no such thing as a mistake, only a _miscalculation_" The voice replied gleefully.

"You just made a mistake by causing trouble in this town. Titans, Go!" Robin commanded his team-mates as he scaled the fence with ease, his bo-staff now withdrawn and fully extended. Cyborg and Beast-Boy soon followed, with Cyborg opting to smash open the gate rather then try climb over it. Starfire flew overhead, her hands lit up in a green glow as she scoured the area for any sign of the source of the sinister voice.

"There you go, miscalculating your adversary's powers, Robin! How can you fight me, when you can't even _see _me?" The voice spoke up once again, and out of nowhere a vicious blow landed on Robin's face, knocking him back into a towering oak tree.

"What kind of trickery is this? Show yourself, man-who-prefers-to-fight-in-darkness!" Starfire commanded, her green eyes scoping every square inch of the park while she lowered herself to the ground to help Robin.

"My sensors aren't picking him up anywhere! There's no-one here!" Cyborg yelled exasperatedly, his robotic fingers dancing frantically on his wrist console.

"That punch was fairly real Cy! Is it possible your sensors are-." Robin started, but he was cut off by Raven.

"Let me try." She said simply, and she closed her eyes in order to sense their unseen enemy. After a few agonizing seconds, she opened her eyes, and shook her head.

"There's no-one here." She abruptly said, just before a hard blow landed on Cyborg, flinging him off his feet. Robin stood up quickly, his staff still in one hand.

Mark had so far not gotten involved, as he still had no idea as to how to use his powers willingly. He lifted his hands up to his face and stared at them intently, willing them to catch on fire. His eyes were like daggers, almost piercing his skin from their intensity. "Argh!" He yelped in pain as he jerked his hand away from the gaze of his eyes. Two blisteringly hot beams of energy emerged from his pupils, and they had started to burn his skin. He closed his eyes and attempted to relax.

"Dammit! How the Hell am I supposed to do this?" He asked himself angrily, and as he did so, his hands caught on fire. He eyed his hands again, this time careful not to stare at them for too long, and shrugged his shoulders dejectedly. Vowing to find a better way to activate his powers, he succumbed to his anger, allowing his hair to brighten and his whole body to erupt in blue flames once again. His eyes darkened as they rapidly dilated and re-focused until they reached the point of being completely black and soulless. His mouth was formed into a permanent scowl, and his eyes narrowed as he searched for his team-mates and friends. He spotted Robin and Starfire attempting to follow the taunting voice, and he saw Cyborg fumbling with his sensors, with Beast-Boy in wolf form, attempting to sniff the unseen enemy out. He also saw Raven standing with closed eyes as she once again tried to detect their invisible adversary. All of a sudden, his eyes narrowed, and then they widened in shock. He could _see someone else!_ The picture wasn't clear, but he could make out a dark blue blob-like form moving swiftly towards the still form of Raven. "No…" He mouthed silently, and with a cry he charged at the figure, who had frozen momentarily at the sudden outcry. Raven opened her eyes and turned towards the speeding form of Crow. "Mark? You have to remain calm, don't let your power rule you!" She said desperately, but her words fell on deaf ears, and it suddenly dawned upon her that he wasn't going to stop. She closed her eyes and created a wall of energy as she braced for impact, but it never came. Instead, Crow sped past her and into the trees, lighting the few unfortunate branches and leaves that had made contact with him on fire. Raven tilted her head towards the sudden gap in the trees created by Crow. "Oh…k? What the Hell?" Was all she managed to say before levitating off to find the rest of the Titans.

Crow had taken the figure off-guard, and he had landed a few successful blows, but it was now evident that this figure was the better fighter. "I do not know how you managed to detect me, but you are no match for The Shadow!" The figure said triumphantly as he deflected and blocked all the blows he received from Crow. With a sharp yell, Crow raised his foot and landed a successful kick to the side of Shadow's head. With a slight grunt, Shadow fell back onto the ground, attempting to recover.

_The Shadow? That's original. Oh wait… neither is Crow." Very funny. How are we going to defeat him?_

"_Well, he's a shadow, yes? We need some light!" Nice one, Mark._

Mark whipped out his communicator and brought Robin up on screen.

"Mark? Where are-." Crow cut him off before he could continue.

"Follow the flames, and bring some flash bombs." Was all he said, and he turned the communicator off with a slight click. He put it away, and looked back at the fallen form of Shadow. Only, it wasn't fallen anymore. All Crow saw was a slight movement out of the corner of his eye, and then a dark, fist-shaped object charging towards his face. He dodged it-barely-and retaliated with a back-fist to Shadow's nose. Shadow, now off-balanced from the previous attack, was unable to dodge this strike, and with a sickening crunch, his head snapped back, and he stumbled to regain his balance. Mark raised his fist to the sky and increased the amount of fire emanating from it. No light emerged from the flames, only heat, and before long a towering inferno materialized from the forest, lighting the top-most branches of the oaks on fire. "That should lead 'em here." Crow said smugly, a smirk lying underneath his black eyes.

"You'll pay for that, foolish child!" Shadow exclaimed as he approached the fiery teenager. Crow lifted his hands slightly, shifting into a defensive stance as he eyed the approaching form warily. He lifted his chin slightly, a cunning grin appearing on his face.

Shadow stopped, and with a cry of fury, he thrust his arms out and shot a cloud of black towards Crow. Crow was unable to dodge it, and his eyes widened in horror as it sped towards him. It struck him with a frightening velocity, and he felt the flames on his body being extinguished. "No!" He cried, but the word was engulfed in darkness, much like the rest of his body. He was forced down to his knees, his teeth gritted in pain and concentration as he tried desperately to will the flames to reignite. His hair started dimming, and with a final cry of terror, he collapsed on the ground.

"_Come on Crow! Fight back!" What do you think I'm doing, Mark?_

"_I think you're losing…" Do you think you can do a better job, boy?_

Mark's eyes opened, and his hair quickly turned black. The flames that had once covered his entire body gave up the fight to survive, and they ebbed away. His whole body was collapsing in on itself, the shadows pressing in from all around him. He could feel his heart, pounding madly beneath his ribs, and with a cry of shock he felt his ribcage slowly bending inwards! The pain wracked his body, and he convulsed violently.

"_Do you see? You are defenseless now without me!" Help…me…_

He closed his eyes, and with a final sigh, he gave up. The shadow was suffocating him, squeezing the life out of him, and no matter how he struggled, he couldn't rid himself of it. He lost consciousness and his body went limp. He didn't hear Robin's flash bombs going off, or the cries of terror that erupted from the figure at the realization that he was no longer invisible to the rest of the Titans due to the flash bombs. He saw only blackness, and he didn't feel the Titans carry him away from the park and back to the Tower.


	8. Revelation

Mark awoke to find himself in a darkened room. The various medical equipment that lay scattered on the bench beside his bed indicated that this was the infirmary. He looked around the sterile room, examining all the various tools that were present beside him. He opened his mouth to yawn, but a sharp pain in his side caused him to stop abruptly. He lifted his dirty school shirt and examined his side. It was severely bruised, and Mark figured that his ribs were probably bruised as well. With a slight sigh, he retired back to his bed and closed his eyes again.

He was unable to go to sleep, however, as he was interrupted by a faint knocking on the door. He swung his feet over the side of his bed and planted them firmly on the floor. Sensing there was nothing wrong with them, he slowly applied more pressure to his ankles, and with a slight push with his hands, he stood up. He walked cautiously towards the door and unlocked it, the door sliding open silently on its wheels. Standing in the doorway was a very welcomed figure in Mark's eyes. Raven stood there, her purple eyes showing no emotion.

"How do you feel?" She asked quietly.

"Better. Of course, with my bruised rib I won't be able to laugh at Beast-Boy's jokes, so I'm a bit shattered." Mark said, adding the final phrase with a slight smile.

Raven couldn't help but smile back, even if it was slight. She seemed uncomfortable, as if she wished to say something, but she couldn't find the right words. After a slight awkward silence, Raven bid a quick farewell and started for her room, cursing herself in her mind of what she had thought that she would achieve.

_"There will never be anyone like you... you're a freak! You will never be loved. You can never love! haha... you will always be alone. Your so called 'friends' will leave you after they find out what you are destined to do, and your father will reclaim you!"_ _No he won't..._

_"Stop denying it. He will come... He has an apprentice, Raven. Slade will get you... Your precious Crow won't save you then, because he doesn't care about you."_

_Yes he does! He is like me! Leave me alone! "I will never leave, Raven, and you know it. I'll be back..."_

"Raven?" It was Mark, his voice and face both carrying a concerned tone. "Are you alright?" Raven turned to face him.

"I'm fine. Leave me alone." She said abruptly as she continued to walk down the hallway.

Mark looked slightly rejected, but with a sudden revelation, he looked up and replied.

"It's not your fault, Raven." Mark said quietly. Raven hesitated, tilting her slightly to the left.

"You don't know anything about me." She started. "Don't even try to comprehend. I helped you meditate, but that's as far as it goes. Don't try to get into my head. Beast-Boy and Cyborg did, and it's not something they wish to remember." Raven hissed angrily. Mark, however, did not back down. He continued, each phrase that sprung from his mouth a memory from a life never lived.

"Raven, you have to listen to me. I can feel it when you constantly put yourself down, you feel as if you're defenseless against the will of your father, and that you are powerless to change your fate. But listen, Raven. You are not powerless. The only thing certain in my world, and I'm certain it's the same with yours, is history. History has been written, but the future hasn't. If you cannot comprehend that, Raven, then perhaps your Father's will actually _is _winning." Raven stood rooted to the spot, her eyes and mouth wide in shock. Only one word, one question circulated her mind.

_How?_

She slowly turned, this time her eyes flashing a crimson red to shield the shock that she felt.

"Never talk to me about my future! Never talk to me again about my Father, or about my Birth!" She said, her voice a deadly whisper.

"If I don't, then who is? Do you expect to fight your father on your own? That's what friends are for, Raven. You just haven't realized that yet because you have spent most of your life running from your father."

Raven's eyes narrowed. She never told anyone about this, about her prophecy, or of her father.

_How does he know?_

"How do you even know about my father?"

Mark hesitated, for the first time since he began this verbal assault.

"How _do_ I know about all this?" He asked himself. Every event, every moment spoken, came from a part of his mind that he never knew existed. They burst forth, every word strung together to form a sentence that Mark didn't even know the meaning of. But Raven did, however, and they seemed to have the most impact on her.

Then it dawned on him.

They were connected, that's why.

"Because I... My mother. Slade said, my mother was from the same place your father is from. We are connected, Raven. I know these things because it is as if we are brother and sister. It's as if we have a connection. I feel what you feel and you feel what I feel." Raven slumped. She opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out.

She turned away from him, her eyes turning back to their original purple, and she simply said "I have to go."

She walked briskly away from him and towards the end of the corridor, the sound of her feet growing fainter until she turned and entered her room, when they ceased completely.

Mark looked upon her retreating back and bowed his head dejectedly.

"I'm sorry." He uttered to no-one in particular, and he turned also and headed back to his bedroom.


	9. Resolution

Raven walked to her bed and with an exhale, she sat herself upon it, thoughts swimming through her mind, thoughts regarding Mark, and of her Father. She felt restless, so she took a few deep breaths and attempted to calm herself down. She crossed her legs on her bed and closed her eyes, commencing the meditation process. Before long, however, the familiar sinister thoughts polluted her mind, and disrupted her concentration.

_"You see? He doesn't like you! He hates you! The way he spoke to you... he doesn't give a damn whether you live or die! no-one does..."_

_"He tried to help, Raven. That's all. You shut him out. You should go back and apologize..." A new voice..._

_"What? He tried to hurt you! He tried-"_

_"Shut up! Raven, you must go back." Yes, yes I will go back._

_"No! It's no use! don't-" This voice was losing strength... and it pleased me..._

Her eyes shot open suddenly. She had had a revelation. In the back of her mind, she realized that Mark was brought here for a reason, for they were so alike that it couldn't possibly have been coincidental. With a slight smile, she uncrossed her legs and stood up, removing her hood from her purple hair. She walked briskly towards her door and opened it. She walked outside and headed towards Mark's room, now determined to speak her mind. She approached the grey door and knocked. There was no noise, no sign of movement from the other side. She knocked again, wondering perhaps that he might've just not heard it the first time. Still no answer.

"Strange..." Raven thought.

"Mark? Are you in there? It's Raven. Look, about before, I...I'm sorry. You were right and...well, I should've listened. So I'm sorry, ok?" Raven stood there for a while, trying to listen for a response. None came. "Mark?" She said as she slowly opened the door. There was no Mark here. The only movement came from the curtains, swaying in rhythm to the night's air that crept in from the open window...

Raven proceeded towards the window and leapt out, levitating in the night's sky as her deep violet eyes scoured the darkness for any clue as to the whereabouts of Mark. She couldn't help but feel responsible for Mark's sudden disappearance, and the thought of calling the other Titans hadn't passed her mind. She surveyed the ground below, her heart skipping a beat when a certain thought popped into her head. She shook it out quickly, and continued to look in the night's sky.

After a few minutes of restless searching, a dark figure swooped in and came to a stop beside her in mid-flight.

"Did you miss me? Listen, Raven. About before... I don't know what came over me. I shouldn't have said those things. You were-" Mark began, but Raven lifted a finger to her lips in a gesture of silence.

"Sshh." She started. "I should be the one saying sorry. I'm sorry Mark. Sorry for what I said before. You were right." Silence befell the duo, and with a nod of understanding, Mark turned towards the city's twinkling lights far below and simply admired the view.

Raven tentatively followed his gaze and looked upon the city in unison with Mark. She felt her heart beat faster, and she became slightly light-headed.

"_What is wrong with me?"_

There was nothing wrong with her. She was feeling something new, something unfelt before. For the first time in her sixteen years of life, she admired the view. She soaked in the natural beauty of the night, her eyes slowly shifting their gaze towards the night's sky, and its dazzling display of stars and satellites. It was _beautiful._

"_Beautiful…" _

The word seemed foreign, but with every time she repeated it under her breath, it became more welcome, and it found its place near Raven's heart.

No more words were spoken between the two. There was simply no need to. Raven had spent all her life conveying her lack of emotions through the words she spoke. Mark on the other hand, never had anyone back at home to share his emotions with. Now, however, every cell in Raven's body was tingling with electricity, warming her body and her spirit. She slowly rested her head on Mark's shoulder, her purple hair coming to a rest over her face, and closed her eyes. The voices, the unwelcome voices, were finally gone.

_"Mark was right; I do need friends to help me defeat my demon." _

She was finally at peace with the world.

The duo sat there for a few minutes, simply levitating in the dark night's sky and admiring the twinkling lights far below and above them. Then, as one, they slowly returned back to the Titan's Tower. They landed softly on the floor of Mark's bedroom, and with slightly despondent tones they said their goodnights. Raven then left Mark's room and made her way down the hall to hers.

Mark stood there for a moment, swaying on the balls of his feet as his mind soaked in what had happened outside. He remained motionless, until he heard a curious beeping sound coming from the closet.

"What is that?" Mark thought to himself as he slowly approached the closet, almost wary of what it might be.

He pulled the closet open with slight trepidation and gazed inside. The closet was devoid of any clothes, and Mark immediately noticed a small, slightly circular object lying on the floor. He bent down and scooped it up; examining it whilst fumbling with the various buttons and dials that littered the side of it.

"Looks like a Teen Titans Communicator. Wonder what it's doing here- wait." Mark looked at it closely, and he realized that it wasn't a Titan communicator, but rather something more sinister. It was roughly the same size, but instead of having a T plastered on the front, signifying Titan, it had an abstract S.

"Hello, Mark. Long time no see. I see Terra was useful, even after death." The mocking voice drifted in through the communicator, and it took Mark naught but a moment to realize that it was Slade.

"Slade? What do you want?" Mark demanded as he pressed and de-pressed the button on the side of the communicator, his voice rising ever so slightly in anger at hearing Slade's disgusting voice again.

"Nothing I don't already have, Mark. You see, my plans are finally coming together, and I just rang to say hello. Your little romance with Raven won't last long, I'm afraid, as her father is getting quite upset. She will fulfill her destiny, Crow, and there is nothing you can do about it." Slade mocked.

Mark's hair started glowing again, his frustrations rising and he felt the familiar warmth creeping up his wrists towards his palms. Within moments, he had willingly let Crow's attitude and emotions overpower him and take control of his body. Mark was no longer talking, Crow was, and he just smiled. "You are a cocky son-of-a-bitch, aren't you? Well, you aren't the only one. You see, I learnt something the other night. No matter how hard YOU try, you can't defeat me. I will find you Slade, and I will kill you." Slade didn't reply for a moment. He seemed to be calculating, planning something.

"When the prophecy is fulfilled," He began, in almost a giddy tone. "It won't even matter. Smile, Crow. Oh and, a present from me to you. Happy birthday..."

Crow's pitch black eyes widened in shock.

"How did he know...?" Crow tried to comprehend, but in that split second, the miniature explosive attached to the electrical components of the communicator exploded. The ensuing shock-wave rocked the tower, the blistering fireball leveling his room in an instant and any rooms above and below it. Everything simply _disintegrated_. Within a few seconds though, the explosion lost momentum and it petered out, leaving the Tower's foundations intact.

Within a few moments, footsteps were heard running towards Mark's room through what was left of their hallway. Raven arrived first, simply materializing from a dark aura that was conjured by her in the room. Closely following her were Robin, Starfire and Cyborg, with Beast-Boy lagging behind.

Nothing was left recognizable in his room. Everything had turned into ash, including the four walls and the door that enclosed the room. The only thing that seemed intact, but still unrecognizable, was a strange white orb that levitated in the centre of the room. It wasn't a bright white, but rather a dull pearl color. It was roughly six feet tall and a barely audible humming was heard emanating from it.

Raven was speechless. She looked around for any sign of Mark, but she saw nothing. The room was utterly demolished, and her gaze rested on the white sphere that levitated just to her left.

"_Just like me… But like Black and White…"_

Raven gasped silently as she proceeded towards the orb, the rest of the Titans watching her intently.

"Raven! Be careful, you don't know what that could be!" Robin shouted warily, but Raven didn't pay any attention. She knew exactly what it was. She reached the orb and her palm delicately on the surface. She felt warmth radiating from it, but what else she felt was shocking, but welcome at the same time. She felt pressure from the inside, as if someone else had placed their hand lightly on the interior of the sphere.

With a slight buzz, the white spherical shield disappeared, leaving Mark standing in its place, with his hand extended out touching Raven's. Time had stopped for the both of them momentarily, and all they knew was each other. Silence befell the duo, but before long the reality of the situation had sunk in, and they withdrew their hands quickly with a slight blush.

They received strange looks from the rest of the Titans, but nothing was spoken about that 'Moment'.

"Mark? Dude! What's the matter? Incinerating the bed wasn't enough? You seriously have anger issues." Beast Boy said angrily, the scene he witnessed before long forgotten.

"Quiet, Beast-Boy." Robin said sharply. "Are you ok Mark?" He asked as he cautiously approached.

Mark broke his gaze with Raven and looked at Robin as he replied.

"I...I spoke to Slade... There was a receiver in the closet... something about a Terra... I don't know..." Mark uttered as he slumped to the ground, the fatigue from suffering such an event finally catching up with him as the adrenalin wore off. The room was deadly quiet once more, and all eyes slowly looked towards Beast-Boy, studying for a reaction. "What did he say? What did he say about Terra!" This time it was Beast-Boy who spoke, his voice uncharacteristically harsh and his eyes flashed with anger.

Mark was surprised at the sudden change in attitude from Beast-Boy. He clutched his head slightly as he attempted to remember the previous conversation he had with Slade.

"Ugh... Not much. He said... something about Terra being useful, even after... death? Who or what is Terra?" Mark asked, realization dawning upon him. The rest of the Titans looked at each other, and in a silent gesture of acceptance, turned back to face Mark. "Mark, I think we should explain to you about Terra. Here, come into the living room." Robin said slowly as he led the bewildered Mark away from the wreckage of his bedroom.

Robin however, had just had a thought, and an unpleasant one at that. He turned to Mark and began to speak.

"Wait. But first, how did this explosion occur? Did you cause it? We need to know." He asked sternly, his trained eyes searching for any signs of lying, aversion of eye contact or unusual fidgeting. There was none.

"I don't know... I think... It was that thing I was holding. Like a Titan communicator, but it had an S on it, not a T. That's how I was talking to...Slade. It was his communicator, wasn't it? What was it doing in my room?" Mark demanded, his voice slightly rising in anger once it had finally clicked, and he realized with horror that Slade was _much _closer then he first anticipated. No-one replied, they just turned away and followed Robin, who had now continued towards the Living room once more.


	10. Final Words

They entered the large room silently, the whole Team following Mark and Robin as they sat down on the king-sized sofa. Cyborg was feeling hungry, so he decided to raid the refrigerator whilst Robin explained to Mark exactly what had happened to Terra.

"Mark, you have to realize one thing. You weren't the first person we invited into the team. We came across this girl, Terra…" Robin began to explain, began to talk about what fate had befallen Terra. He talked for a while, vividly describing how she managed to always catch the villains without the slightest hassle, and how she was a good friend, but deep down a troubled soul, much like Raven. As he talked, Beast-Boy interrupted several times to add events of his own, some wildly exaggerated, others surprisingly accurate.

"We thought she had destroyed Slade once and for all, but a few days before you arrived, we crossed paths again, but this time he had gained control over fire and he was no longer after me anymore. He was after-"

"Raven" Mark said, finishing Robin's sentence for him. Robin shot him a puzzled look, so Mark decided to explain himself.

"He told me, through the communicator thing." Mark lifted himself off the soft couch, his fatigue still wearing him down, but he was determined not to seem weak in front of his Team-mates. He walked slowly towards the massive window and gazed out into the night's sky once more, except this time Raven wasn't by his side. He sighed exasperatedly and turned back towards the Titans, their silent gaze hardly comforting.

"But what does he want with me?" He started. "I mean, why did he go to so much trouble, just to bring me into your world?"

Robin shrugged dejectedly. "We...don't know yet. We were actually hoping that you could tell us that."

"I don't know anything but! I don't know how I got these powers, or what Slade was talking about when he mentioned my Mother. I have a mother in my world! Is it possible to have two blood-related mothers? Or is my mother from my world like a step-mom?" Anger welled up from inside of him, consuming his thoughts and senses. His heart-rate rose with each word he spoke, accompanying his voice and the brightness of his hair. He quickly shut his eyes so the others wouldn't see how his pupils were darkening, and forced himself to relax. He attempted to remember what Raven had taught him after one brief lesson in meditation, and it worked. Sort of.

After a brief moment, he opened his eyes again, and he had reverted back to his normal state, his hair no longer glowing and his eyes no longer darkening.

"Well, your powers are very much alike, so perhaps he is just showing an interest in you. Maybe it's nothing serious." Robin said almost hopefully, noting the sudden changes that had overcome Mark's body, and how quickly they had disappeared..

Mark shook his head sadly. "He told me himself. He said that I am too important and that I will serve his plans..." Mark stopped himself quickly before he said too much. He had just quoted a vision he had, but at the time it had felt so real. He shook his head slightly, trying to remove these thoughts from his head.

No-one replied, and Robin took the chance to study him more, watch his facial features, and examine him for any signs of fear and anxiety. He saw plenty of the latter, but he did not notice any fear in his eyes. They were unnervingly calm and resolute.

_"He really doesn't know what's going on..."_

"Well..." Cyborg remarked between a huge yawn, shattering the uncomfortable silence of the Tower.

"I don't know 'bout you guys, but I'm tired. I'm off to bed, 'night y'all" He said sleepily, stretching his metallic arms and standing up.

The half-metal, half-human teenager slowly shuffled his massive robotic frame through the sliding doors, which glided open silently as he approached. With a slight movement of his palm that activated the Tower's security system, he disappeared into the darkness. No-one felt like bidding him a farewell, as the melancholic atmosphere had smothered their urge to converse.

Robin opened his mouth to ask another question, but quickly rejected the notion. With a slight yawn as well, he proceeded to stand up.

"I think we should all get some sleep. We need to figure out what Slade is planning, so we need to rest." Robin said and walked off, following Cyborg's wake. Beast-Boy and Starfire, now overcome by the urges of sleep as well, stood up and slowly shuffled towards their respective rooms, leaving Raven and Mark alone once again. They sat quietly for a moment, mimicking the atmosphere that was present just a few seconds ago, but Mark was unable to stand the silence.

"He mentioned you again, Raven. He said that you will fulfill your destiny, and that your father is getting upset." Raven looked up at Mark, seeing the fear, fear for _her,_ in his eyes. She wished to comfort him, but she knew that Mark could see through the lies, through the deceit that had fooled the rest of her friends so effortlessly. She looked deep in his dark blue eyes, and began with a nod.

"I know. I can feel him, feel his strength growing. He's clawing from inside me, trying to get out." Her upper lip quivered slightly as she spoke, and she turned away.

Mark's eyes flashed with anger.

_I swear I will kill him. I will stop him, and I will kill Slade and find a way to destroy her father._

Mark tried to comfort the dark girl, but she was able to see through the lies just as effortlessly as Mark was.

"Don't worry Raven, we will stop Slade and your father, take my word for it."

_"I wish I could believe you... I truly do..." _

Raven gave a weak smile, a pathetic attempt in reassuring Mark. Raven replaced the hood on her head, covering her deep purple hair and delicate features. With a quiet "goodnight", she left towards her room, leaving Mark standing in front of the gargantuan window alone.

Mark reached in his pocket and withdrew his school tie. He fumbled with it absent-mindedly, letting it slowly weave its way around his outstretched fingers, guided by the motion of his hand. It was creased and folded many times over, and Mark didn't even notice he was holding it until he looked down and studied his hands.

He brought up the dark burgundy tie and stared at it, studying its intricate pattern and unique design.

"_All Hell is going to break loose tomorrow. I can feel it, and there is nothing I can do to stop it"_

He looked at the tie one more time, and with a sigh, he threw it in the bin.

"_I'm not going to need this anymore."_

With one final look at his discarded school tie, he turned and walked back to his room, his head hung low.


	11. Apocalypse

Thank you all for the pleasant reviews! The end is coming up soon, and just as a side-note: I hate sad endings!

... I know, I'm a sap, but when it comes to this story, I just can't bear it. Anyway, enough about me and my preferences, on with the show! err... Story!

_

* * *

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_"The time has come, Titans. She will fulfill her destiny, and so will Mark." Again the voice..._

_"Titans! Go..." Robin? What happened?_

Mark tossed and turned, his sleep far from restful.

"_Mark… I-I can't stop him… He- he's fighting…"_

"_Raven! Listen to me! He will not claim you! Fight him! You can do it!"_

Raven struggled, a battle was being fought inside her of epic proportions. Heat radiated from her slim body, her delicate facial features covered in perspiration.

"_Aahh! He's- win-." _

_RAVEN!_

And then it was over. Raven opened her eyes calmly. She got up from her bed and walked to her door, sliding it open silently. She stepped daintily onto the carpeted hallway and proceeded towards Beast-Boy's room.

"_Raven? Raven! What happened?"_

Beast-Boy's door opened, devoid of any noise except for a gaseous 'whoosh'. She entered the room, a slight grin appearing on her emotionless face.

"_Raven! What are you-."_

_The screams perforated the night's air…_

Mark awoke with a start, his thoughts racing through his mind about the nightmare he had. It seemed amazingly real. A cold chill ran up his spine, and he shivered.

"Raven…" He felt something, something _absent_. The Tower was eerily silent, and darkness impeded his vision.

_Darkness?_

Mark reluctantly turned his head to the left and gazed outside. At that moment, his heart froze. All the blood that flowed through his veins and arteries simply ground to a halt, as if they it had just solidified. His body was overcome with cold, and his lungs could no longer inhale the precious oxygen needed to sustain his body.

"_No…No, no, no, no!"_

The sky was no longer a light blue. Dark brown clouds polluted it, and the sky itself was pitch black, with a slight blood red hue. The darkness stretched as far as the eye could see, smothering the sun's rays and bathing everyone in never-ending darkness. Screams and cries of terror were heard emanating from the once proud city, now smoking and slowly crumbling into oblivion.

Mark stumbled out of the room, his legs shaking with every fumbling step he took. His breath quickened, but this time there was no Crow to overcome his body and his senses. He was not feeling any anger, only horror.

"Raven!" He shouted desperately. "Robin! Anyone… Oh God no…" There was no reply, not even a sound was heard, save his own ragged and desperate breathing, and his heart pounding in his ears. Mark half-walked, half-ran towards Raven's room. After a few pathetic attempts he managed to slide the door open and he fell inside, looking around for any sign of her. There was nothing. Everything in the room was neat and orderly, even her bed was impeccably done. With a silent cry he walked outside, the shock of the situation finally wearing off, and realization had dawned upon him at last.

"_This is just a dream. This can't be true, this is just a dream!"_

"_No. This isn't a dream. It has finally happened, and you were powerless to stop it."_

"_Shut up SHUT UP! I am not powerless, I can still… still save her…"_

"_What are you talking about? It's over, you lost. The world is gone, SHE is gone, all your FRIENDS are gone, and here you are, still in denial! Pathetic…"_

"I am NOT PATHETIC!" Mark shouted, his voice echoing off the barren walls of the same hallway that was so familiar to him, so welcoming, a lifetime ago. He continued down the foreboding hallway, the insane shadows flickering madly to a silent tune carried by what little light remained in this forsaken Tower, in this forsaken _city_.

He reached Beast-Boy's room.

"_Please don't let it be true. Please don't… Please…"_

He entered the room, and had to shift his weight quickly in order to avoid falling. He swayed backwards and landed on his rear, trying once again to get a grip on this new reality. Beast-Boy's room was gone. Simply… _gone._ His sliding door opened up to reveal nothing, except for the barren and scorched earth far below. He cautiously proceeded towards the door again, this time stepping out and levitating, floating in the humid and uncomfortable air.

"_God no…" It was true. Everything…_

He was floating where Beast-Boy's bunk bed once resided, now a mere piece of twisted and discarded metal lying on the ground directly beneath him. He swiftly flew inside and landed roughly on the floor, tears rolling down his cheeks as the final pieces of the puzzle fell into place. He sobbed silently, his body shaking as he cradled his knees in his arms.

He made a promise to Raven, and he failed to keep it. He blamed himself for everything that happened, and he simply didn't know what to do anymore. He had never felt as alone as he felt now.

"Mark?" A voice drifted in from the shadows of the hallway, quiet and reassuring. Mark turned to face the noise, his fears slightly dimming. A green light lit up the unwelcome shadows, and the slim form of Starfire approached Mark slowly, her feet nary making a sound.

"Starfire? What happened here?" Mark asked desperately, even though he already knew.

Starfire looked away, her eyes brimming with tears as she began to speak.

"Oh Mark. It happened so fast." She started, closing her eyes and trying to will the painful memories away. But they were still fresh, and still burned into her mind.

"Raven started to attack us! Her friends… She attacked her friends…" Starfire was still in shock, and her reply was vague.

"Starfire listen to me! What did she do? Where are the others?" It pained him to ask such a question, and it most likely hurt Starfire more, but he had to know.

_Perhaps, if Starfire is alive, then maybe the others are too!"_

Starfire didn't reply. She slowly lifted off, her dazzling green eyes cloudy and distant.

"They are gone. Raven disposed of them. Everyone is gone, friend Mark, everybody."

Mark slumped to the ground again, tears once again welling up underneath his eyes.

"So… That's it. All is lost…" Mark murmured to no-one in particular. At that statement, Starfire seemed to have snapped back to reality, and with her eyes glowing green she replied.

"No. All is not lost. We must avenge our friends' deaths. They must not be in vain!" She said with an uncharacteristic ferociousness. Mark pulled himself to his feet, every bone in his body aching in protest.

He simply didn't have the will to fight anymore, but something stirred deep inside of him. It was a warm feeling, pleasant in its presence, which spread from his heart to the tips of his fingers and toes. It strengthened him, revitalized him, and gave him a sense of purpose. He was unsure where it came from, but in this desolated city, it was most welcome.

"_Everything will turn out to be fine… I promise…"_

"Huh?" Mark asked out loud. He looked left to right, as if trying to find the source of the comforting voice, but his attempts were futile. He shrugged despondently and turned back to Starfire.

"Do you know where Raven is?" He demanded.

Starfire shook her head sadly, her vibrant red hair bobbing in the direction of her movement.

"_I do… and so do you…"_

Mark's head snapped up, his ears again attempting to locate the source of this reassuring voice. Once again, the voice disappeared without a trace, vanishing into the recesses of Mark and Crow's mind.

"Argh!" Mark exclaimed as he fell to his knees, clutching his head in a desperate attempt to will the sudden and shocking pain away. It felt as if knives were being driven into his skull, splitting his head open. Tears stung his eyes, and his body convulsed violently.

His eyes started darkening, and his hair brightened to a blistering white, signifying the fact that Crow had once again taken control of his body. With a scream he jumped up and flew out into the blood-red sky, Starfire barely able to keep up with him.

_Amazing! They are connected in such a way that they are able to share emotions!_

Crow leveled out, his head no longer pounding madly in pain. Starfire cautiously approached him, and began to speak.

"Friend Crow, what happened? Are you hurt?"

Crow looked at her with an evil grin, his black eyes full of madness and hurt.

"Just follow me girl, and everything will be fine." He growled with a grimace, and he rocketed off towards the city.


	12. Confrontation

What he saw in the city shocked even Crow himself. The once pristine and proud skyscrapers now lay in ruins, smoke bellowing from shattered windows. Abandoned cars littered the asphalt roads, some upturned, and others with their doors and drivers hanging limply out the side. Bodies could be seen laying on the pavement, motionless and cold, the spirits that once inhabited them long gone. Crow flew over this scene, taking it all in, and with each body spotted, each fire noticed; he made a vow to himself to kill whoever was responsible.

"_Wait… Raven was responsible…"_

The most depressing scene, Crow surmised, was the absence of noise. The screams that he had heard only moments ago from the Tower were now distant memories, a shadow in his mind. The yells of pain and anguish were gone, and Crow only hoped that the poor souls who were responsible for such noise have been put to rest, calmly and painlessly. Not even the occasional siren to signify that perhaps there was life still inhabiting this God-forsaken place was heard.

Crow felt a searing pain tear into him on his side, and with a slight gasp he began falling, the wind rushing by his face and closed eyes. He felt like giving up, just surrendering to this inevitable future. He decided to just keep falling, as he felt it was the easiest choice.

"_That was… nice." Raven smiled… she smiled! _

He was still falling; his eyes were still closed, remembering past events from a life so radically different.

"_Never talk to me about my Father!" Every word hurt, like a dagger slowly being thrust into my chest…_

A single tear escaped from underneath his eyelid. He still fell, his messy black hair flapping madly in the wind.

"_I'm sorry, Mark. Sorry for what I said before. You were right…" She was sorry. She was opening up… now I lost her._

"No."

Mark opened his eyes. Every ounce of energy was poured into reviving his weary body.

Screams invaded his hearing, and with a new-found burst of energy, Mark straightened out, coming to a stop in mid-air, his hair still glowing white and his eyes still pitch black. He ignored the pain throbbing at his side and the disgusting smell of burnt flesh emanating from his wound.

Starfire, in her mad dash to save Mark from falling to his death, didn't notice the sudden change in attitude.

"Star! Stop! I'm ok!" He yelled, and Starfire obeyed, halting in mid-air.

Mark scoured the desolated city block, looking for the one who had attacked him.

"Crow, how nice to meet you again." A voice, dripping with contempt, arose from beneath him. Mark looked down, and his palms lit on fire once more. Anger arose and clouded his judgment. All he could think about was killing the man that had caused him so much pain, the one dressed in black, the one always wearing the orange and black metal mask. He had invaded his visions and nightmares long enough.

With a cry of anger, he rocketed down towards Slade like a bullet, his body alight in blue flames and his fist extended out to his target. Slade watched him the whole time, and with a slightly raised eyebrow, he leapt out of the way.

"What's the matter Crow? No time to say hello to your good friend Slade? You still have a chance, a choice, to join me as my apprentice, so we may rule this new world together!"

Mark altered his position so his legs faced the ground, and he shot flames from his flat feet in order to slow his descent. The blisteringly hot flames compressed upon contact with the cracked and demolished road, and shot out sideways, casting obscure shadows upon himself and Starfire, who stood behind him, uncharacteristically cold and emotionless. Mark's eyes narrowed.

"This has gone far enough. It ends, now." Mark said calmly, his eyes devoid of any expression.

It had finally begun. Mark charged Slade, his mouth twisted in a sick smile, but Slade dodged the brutal attack, and flung fireballs at the speeding figure. Mark turned and weaved his way through the rain of fire and sped towards Slade again. This time, however, he halted and landed in front of him.

"What happened? Run out of steam already?" Mark still had the smile on his face, and he slowly shook his head.

"Wrong. I'm just getting warmed up." He rushed Slade, his fist blazing, and swung.

Slade side-stepped the punch and landed a brutal kick to Mark's exposed chest. Mark exhaled heavily and stumbled back, his breath coming in short and shallow. Slade walked towards him and punched him, _hard, _in the face, and his head snapped back, his body soon following and falling back. Mark struggled to get up, he was on his hands and knees and each breath he took felt like daggers in his lungs.

"S-St-Star-F-ire…" He uttered, as Slade's armored leg reared back, aiming at his chest once again. At that precise moment, however, an amazing burst of green light struck Slade square-on, so lethal in it's attack that it shattered Slade's armor and cracked his mask.

"You will not hurt my friend!" Starfire shouted, and the Tamaranean warrior princess lunged at Slade, her eyes full of righteous fury. Slade roared in anger and retaliated with massive fire tendrils that snaked their way towards the girl. She dodged and weaved past them with amazing efficiency, and with a cry of hate she shot Slade once again with green beams of blistering energy.

Mark coughed up blood and struggled to his feet. He could feel bile in his throat, and he vomited once again, what little food he had left in his stomach. He stood up and watched the battle unfold between Slade and Starfire.

Starfire was no longer thinking rationally. Her innocent mind had now been tainted with what horrors she had witnessed and endured. Her eyes shone bright green with solar energy and she shot Slade, again and again, weakening him under her relentless barrage of Starbolts. When she had finally ceased firing, the dust that had been disturbed finally settled, and Slade stood there, a fire shield enveloping and protecting him.

No-one moved for a moment, which seemed like an eternity to Mark. He studied Slade, watching for any potential movement. It was at that moment that he noticed a slight disturbance behind Slade's back.

"STARFIRE! LOOK OUT!" Mark screamed. Time slowed down, and it felt as if his legs now weighed a thousand pounds. He flew towards Starfire, but he knew that he was already too late. Starfire's head turned to her right, a puzzled look upon her beautiful complexion. Mark was only able to watch in horror as Slade made his move. With a flick of his wrist and a twisted smile beneath his cracked mask, Slade brought the staff around him all in one motion and landed a direct blow on Starfire's head, shattering her spine and vertebrae and cracking her skull open. Her once vibrant and joyful green eyes now glazed and pale, the life rapidly draining away from them. Not a sound emerged from her lips as she fell, as she was dead before she hit the ground. Mark swallowed back another urge to vomit. His face was pale, and his eyes were wide in horror.

Slade turned back to face Mark, his eye glinting in a sadistic happiness.

"Do you see? All your friends are weak, except for you and Raven! Join her and me; this is your final chance." Mark slumped to his knees once more, and he lost all urge to fight.

Slade proceeded towards the defeated figure cautiously, his staff still withdrawn.

"_They are really gone… everyone… all of them…"_

"What other option do you have?" Slade continued. "If you don't, I will destroy you here and now, and you will never see your precious Raven again. You know, she has mentioned you a few times." That got Mark's attention. He slowly looked up and met Slade's gaze.

"It's true. She killed the rest of the Titans save Starfire quite efficiently, but not even she knows why she spared you. Perhaps she had a soft spot for you, perhaps the soft Raven pleaded with her." Mark's eyes narrowed.

"_She is not soft."_

He rose to his feet, fury flowing through his veins and arteries, powering his body and fueling his hatred towards Slade.

"I take that as a no." Slade said, almost with a disappointed tone. They were standing a mere two feet from one another, Slade holding his staff tightly, and Mark clenching his fists, blue flames snapping and crackling over his fingers and knuckles, penetrating the empty air.

Slade struck first.

Slade swung his staff sideways, parallel to the ground, aiming for Mark's chest yet again. It seemed almost impossible for Mark to dodge it. _Almost. _Mark didn't need to dodge it. He snapped his fist out caught the staff in mid-swing, snapping it cleanly in two, the lose piece falling with a clatter to the pavement below.

"You've improved. Most imp-." Slade never got to finish his sentence, as Mark had swung fiercely and his blow connected with Slade's face, effectively shattering his mask with a fiery fist. The pieces of his mask fell to the ground, accompanying his shattered staff.

"No more talking." Mark stated simply, he swung a quick left fist that found its target, Slade's chest. Slade bent over, trying to absorb the blow as much as he could, but the damage had been done. Mark grinned sadly, and delivered a vicious fiery uppercut that snapped Slade's neck instantly. Stumbling backwards, Slade attempted to recover, slowly rising back to his erect form, his face now visible to a city destroyed.

With a sickening crack, Slade's skull reattached to its neck, and he smiled.

"You're going to have to do better then that." He said simply, and charged towards the flaming figure of Mark.

Mark was beyond caring about what had just happened. He wished for this to be over, as every punch he threw took its toll onhis weary bones.

Before he knew it, an armoured fist rammed into his face, flinging him off his feet. He felt as if he had just slammed into a brick wall, and his body crumpled to the ground.

"I'm in a forgiving mood today, Crow. I'll give you another chance to join me. Think about it." Slade said simply as he approached the crumpled form of Mark.

Mark made no movement, not even a sound. Slade continued to approach, walking slowly and deliberately.

"Your choice, Crow" Slade said as he raised his leg, aiming at Mark's exposed neck.

"_Big mistake, Slade."_

Mark's head snapped up, and his eyes were black once more. There was no way to describe the hatred he felt towards the sadistic criminal mastermind. No words could convey the pain and anguish he felt at that precise moment. Blind rage consumed him, and with an eerily calm voice, he replied.

"The name's Mark, Asshole."

Mark reared his flaming fist back and punched Slade's exposed chest, breaking his ribs and puncturing his lungs.

Slade gasped, his eye widening in horror. Mark, however, was not finished.

He willed more energy into his fist, and before long the flames had burned away Slade's armor and clothing, leaving his chest exposed. With a final yell, the flames on Mark's wrist erupted and writhed in astounding fury, burning a ragged and burnt hole _through _Slade's chest and emerging on the other side. However, Slade still remained standing, His eye still wide in shock and his mouth hanging open limply. Mark withdrew his arm and stood up, his eyes cold and merciless. He aimed his palms at Slade's figure and forced more energy to erupt from within him. It was at that moment that Mark noticed something amazing. Fire no longer erupted from his palms, but rather _pure energy_. An awesome beam of light emerged from his hands and met their target. What was left of Slade simply disintegrated. His bones, tendons, organs, all met the same end, each turning into ash and falling to the scorched earth.

Such was the end of his Legacy.


	13. Desperation

Mark stopped his ruthless attack and looked at his palms, amazed at what he had just done.

"Starfire…"

Mark rushed to her still body, forgetting what he had just accomplished, and crouched over her limp form.

"Oh Starfire… I'm so sorry… I should've been there for you!" Mark started weeping again, his tears falling on the asphalt below him before evaporating into the humid atmosphere. The only sound heard was ungodly moans caused by the blowing wind

and Mark's quiet sobbing

"_Mark, she will be okay, I promise…"_

"Who are YOU!" Mark screamed into the desolated city, his voice shaking.

"I made promises too! Look where that GOT ME! EVERYONE'S DEAD!" He screamed again, every emotion, every angst that he suffered was finally being poured out, confessed to a world that didn't even exist anymore.

"_You must find Raven. Only she can help you in your mission to defeat Trigon."_

Mark didn't bother trying to reply. He rose to his feet and lifted off into the air, the death of Starfire weighing him down.

"_Follow your heart, Mark. I believe in you…"_

"Who are you?" Mark asked again, this time relatively calmer. "What kind of _bullshit _is that? 'follow your Heart'?" He asked angrily. No reply came. With a shake of his head he flew off, searching for any sign of Raven.

"_You are connected. Close your eyes and look for her with your heart. You know where she is, you just haven't realized it yet."_

Mark gritted his teeth and lowered himself back to the ground. There was something about the voice, something familiar that compelled him to obey. With one final glance at the decimated environment, he crossed his legs and closed his eyes, bringing back subconscious memories that stung him deeply, memories about Raven.

"_Now you must relax. Open your mind to all thoughts, so that I may help you…"_

Mark once again obeyed. He opened his mind and freed himself of any walls and doors that he had built up through the years. It was amazing, Mark thought, that such work regarding the mental dams he built in his mind, was coming undone in a matter of seconds. He didn't mind though, as he felt reassured by the gentle voice.

"There!"

Mark's eyes opened once more, revealing two magnificently white pupils, shining an awesome radiance. He shot towards the crimson sky, and turned towards his target in mid-air.

"_M-M-ar-k. He-l-p m-m-e…" Raven? _

Mark's feet lightly landed upon the cracked asphalt. The flames flickered over his whole body, now emitting a brilliant light, casting obscure and grotesquely-shaped shadows over abandoned cars and ruined buildings. He was standing in what once was a magnificent church, its towering spires and proud frosted windows depicting saints of old now a mere memory, the only recognizable piece lay beside Mark's black school shoes. It was a steel crucifix, narrating the final moments of anguish and torture Jesus Christ endured for us.

Mark bent down and scooped it up. It seemed so small, so insignificant in this world gone berserk. Where once it used to be a symbol of hope, of freedom, it was now a small piece of twisted metal, nothing more then litter, and a symbol of nothing in Mark's eyes.

He gripped the Crucifix tightly, his knuckles whitening.

"_Why has God forsaken us? Where is he now?"_

The crucifix started to heat up, reddening slowly as the temperature rose in Mark's hand. Within moments, fire had engulfed the religious symbol, and it grew brighter. Mark's eyes flashed white, electricity sparking from his pupils in fury.

"_If He's not going to help us-."_

"What 'us'?" Mark asked to himself.

"_If he's not going reclaim what was his and simply let it rot in the hands of Hell, then I'll do it myself."_

There was no 'us'. Everyone was gone. He turned his palm over and dropped the molten and twisted Crucifix, still glowing a bright white, and it landed with a quiet 'clunk' on the cracked pavement below.

"_He has done more then you know…"_


	14. Torn

"Azarath…Metrion…Zinthos!"

Mark stumbled back, the amount of energy striking his already bruised chest knocking him off his feet and he landed roughly on the remains of the church. He arose quickly, his eyes resting on a cloaked and hooded figure standing on the other side of the street. The fire that raged behind it gave it a demonic aura, long shadows cast in front of it due to the light emitted from behind. The figure approached, taking slow and steady steps, its hands glowing darkly. It wasn't particularly tall, roughly the same size as Mark, but its presence was intimidating, yet at the same time, expected.

"Hello, Raven." Mark said, his voice now devoid of any hope.

The figure looked up and grinned, bearing its grotesque teeth in a fiendish way. It was Raven, but a much different Raven. Her cloak was no longer deep blue, but rather a poisonous crimson, matching the perverse colour of the sky. Her eyes, her beautiful azure eyes that were once full of a hidden fear, were now a malevolent scarlet. All _four _of them full of hatred in its most primal form.

"Raven, I know you're still in there! Answer me!" Mark demanded, the figure still approaching with the smile still plastered on its grey skin.

"RAVEN! Snap out of it!" Mark yelled. It kept approaching. "Please…"

There was no answer, no reassuring voice in the back of his head to calm his troubled soul. Mark closed his eyes and apologized.

"I'm sorry." Mark said sadly. His arms felt like lead as he raised them, building up energy in his body, ready to expel it fiercely and dispose of Raven in the same way he did Slade.

"_I-I'm S-so-r-ry t-t-o-o."_

Mark's eyes widened. "No…" He said softly, tears forming in his eyes as he remembered what Starfire had said in the Tower

"All is not lost." He was going to avenge his friends' deaths, but he was also going to save Raven.

He lowered his arms and rocketed towards Raven, determined to pound her evil side to a pulp. A trail of fire blazed behind him, and with a final shout he swung at Raven.

Raven was already prepared however, and with a chuckle she formed a black shield of energy that protected her from Mark's relentless onslaught.

"You are pathetic. You couldn't save anyone. You couldn't even keep your promise."

Raven said calmly, her red eyes penetrating Mark's very soul.

"I'm… not… PATHETIC!" Mark yelled, and with a final burst of energy he punched Raven's shield, white cracks appearing on its smooth black surface. He kept punching, the cracks snaking their way to the top and bottom of the shield, until with a final kick, Mark shattered the shield, and Raven was left defenseless for a brief moment. Mark lowered himself to the ground, his chest rising and falling quickly as Mark took short, sharp breaths.

"You could've been like me." Raven hissed. "No matter. You will still fulfill your prophecy, and you will enjoy it. Much like I did."

"_M-Ma-rk! U-se m-me a-ag-ai-i-ns-t h-h-er…"_

"What?" He was hearing things again, voices, familiar ones. They were unnerving, yet strangely reassuring. Mark turned back to Raven, his eyes still blazing white.

"You still haven't defeated her, have you?" Mark asked quietly, his eyebrow slightly raised in a sign of skepticism.

Raven's eyes narrowed.

"Of course I have. She has been crushed, and hatred rules!" Raven replied, rising to her full height in a sign of confidence. Mark, however, noticed the slight flicker that invaded her sadistic smile. It had diminished. He shook his head and replied, this time with more effort behind his words.

"No you haven't. Hatred doesn't rule. You're mind is still torn in two, and you are losing strength." Mark's hands erupted in flame once more, as he took one step towards the evil that had manifested itself in the form of his friend Raven.

"You are wrong! Hatred is the strongest emotion, and it conquers all, even the pitiful spirit of Raven." The figure replied, taking a slight step back.

Mark shook his head once again, and a smile formed on his face.

"No, you're wrong. Hatred isn't the strongest emotion…"

Mark began, lifting off and hovering in the air, his body engulfed in majestic flames. Raven's eyes widened and she took another step back, her red boots stumbling over splintered wood and shattered brick. Her eyes were no longer a dark crimson, but rather a bright white, a brilliant light emerging from them much like Mark's.

Mark's eyes were no longer wrathful; sorrow filled his mind, flooded his senses and clouded his vision with tears.

Mark smiled. It was a genuine smile, a smile of victory through tremendous losses, a smile of hope. A slight chill ran up his back as he proceeded to utter then final two words that would seal his fate, for better or for worse.

"…Love is."

"_That's it! You've finally realized your true prophecy!"_

"MARK!" Raven screamed as light erupted from her eyes and arms, momentarily blinding Mark as he retreated a few steps, his arms covering his eyes in an attempt to shield his face from her awesome radiance. Raven rose to the air, her eyes and arms still emitting an amazing light, shining her brilliance upon the world she created.

"S-st-op F-fi-gh-ti-ng." the words barely emerged from her mouth and it was unclear who exactly said it. With a sigh, Raven's eyes glazed over before finally closing and her whole body fell to the barren ground below.

'Raven." Mark exclaimed as he rushed towards her, catching her before she hit the dirt.

"_What are you doing? You can't possibly hope to defeat me! I have already beaten you, again and again, why fight it?"_

Raven didn't answer. Her azure eyes narrowed, staring at her evil counter-part. She was standing on a large chunk of rock that floated in endless black. The landscape was radically different to what lay outside her mind, but in here, her feet were firmly planted on a rock platform that defied gravity. The platform was relatively large, but it was utterly barren, devoid of any pebbles or litter that may be used as projectiles, thanks to Raven's ceaseless meditation and clear thoughts.

"Congratulations. You have effectively come back from the dead, thanks to a few short words from your boyfriend. Want a medal?" Raven asked snidely, mocking her counter-part.

"I want you, to…get…out…of…my…head!" Raven replied, slowly pacing each word she spoke in order to ventilate her anger.

"Tut tut Raven, let's not get angry! You do know what happened last time that happened." Raven said, smiling her twisted grin.

"Shut up." Raven said simply, raising her arm and creating an impenetrable shield of dark energy, effectively protecting her.

"You make this too easy. You're practically asking me to attack first!" Raven mocked gleefully.

"Bring it on." Raven whispered quietly, cursing under her breath at letting herself being influenced to such an extent by Beast-Boy's action movies.

Her pure evil counter-part grinned malevolently, bearing her sharper-then-normal teeth.

"With pleasure."

"_He doesn't love you! He never did!"_


	15. Thy Father

Mark's heart pounded madly in his chest, the rapid beats traveling up to his temples and causing them to throb painfully. He felt something, something that didn't belong. It gnawed at the back of his mind, never failing to remind him that he was not seeing the whole picture. Mark was extremely tense, his hair still blindingly white and his eyes the same.

"_What is it? What am I feeling?"_

"_Be prepared, Trigon is free."_

"Trigon?" Mark queried the shadows.

"_He has used his daughter as a vessel to transport his being from our spiritual plane to your physical."_

Mark gazed upon Raven, her still features portraying a false sense of calm and serenity. Her eyes were still closed, and her cloak glowed dark crimson.

"Raven please wake up. Please!" Mark pleaded with her, receiving no reply other then the slight rise and fall of her chest to signify that she was still alive.

"She won't be the same Raven you knew." Mark's eyes shifted their gaze from Raven to the darkness beyond the street. The voice could still be heard echoing over his head, repeating the same word over and over again. "Raven…"

"Who's there?" Mark questioned, rising to his feet.

Somewhere in the darkness, a smile appeared on a red-skinned face, bearing razor sharp teeth stained yellow.

"You can call me _dad._"

"_Can you feel it? As we speak, dad is taking care of Mark for us!"_

Raven's pale face landed on the dirt with a muffled thud, her eyes closing instinctively in order to shield them from the grains of dust that were disturbed due to her fall. She rolled to her back with a groan and opened her eyes, revealing a pair of lavender pupils.

"Ugh." Raven moaned as she lifted herself to her feet yet again, ready to face her evil side once more.

With a raised eyebrow and a sinister grin she started to speak.

"You want more?" Raven didn't reply, instead opting to dig her purple boot into the dirt and gaze at her adversary, watching for any movement.

She shook her head sadly.

"You are a fool, Raven. You fight for this… this LOVE!-" She spat, her eyes burning red.

"-when clearly hatred is stronger. You have been beaten, again and again, yet you still fight!"

"Hatred isn't stronger. You're wrong."

Raven said slowly, each word rolling off her tongue gradually and deliberately.

"Oh please, you don't seriously believe that such a weak emotion like love-." She dragged out the 'o' in 'love' mockingly "Could possibly defeat hate? You're alone, Raven. All alone, and your 'love' has forsaken you." Her evil side was trying to tear at Raven's emotional defenses, rip them down and destroy them for good.

Raven stood firm, however, and she continued to speak.

"I am NOT alone." She said firmly, her cloak suddenly emanating a white glow.

"You see, the reason why love is the stronger emotion is quite simple." She began, her thoughts drifting back to her brief moments with Mark.

"When you are full of hate, you have only one person to turn to, only one person to lean on. Yourself." She said, stepping towards Raven.

"When you are in love…" She began, continuing her slow approach towards her manifested evil.

"You have two."

"Dad?" Mark scoffed, his eyes now coming to a rest upon a man, roughly six feet tall with snow-white hair atop his red-skinned head and body. He wore a cloak and hood, much like Raven, and he was powerfully built, like Slade. The figure didn't move, he simply raised his head to reply, two sinister yellow pupils penetrating Mark's very soul.

"I thought-." He began, his mouth slowly widening into a grin with every word he spoke. "-since you and Raven were getting so close-" He rolled his eyes. "-that perhaps you may look at me and see a father figure you never had."

"I had-have a father." Mark replied, a flicker of uncertainty invading his stone-cold face.

"I see… No matter. Raven has fulfilled her prophecy now, and that is all that matters. Apart from you, that is." Mark raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Now it is your turn to complete the prophecy, and make my arrival here _permanent._" The figure still didn't make a move, and he remained in the shadows.

"Permanent?" Mark was aghast at this sudden change of events.

"_Permanent? That means… yes! He can still be defeated!"_

"So, it's up to me to seal your position here on Earth, is it?" Mark asked, his fists glowing bright yellow. The figure barely nodded.

"What if I don't want to?" He asked, taunting him, mocking the large, red-skinned man.

"Then you will suffer a fate worse then death herself." He finished simply.

Mark's breath quickened as he thought of Robin, of Beast-Boy and Cyborg. He tore at himself for not being there for them when they needed him the most. His thoughts drifted to Starfire, and of how she was so quickly and ruthlessly dispatched by Slade. He could've saved her, but he didn't. He bowed his head and allowed a tear to fall from his closed eyes.

"I've suffered that already."

"_You fight for nothing! You have already killed all your friends, every single one of them! No-one is left!"_

An obsidian energy bolt struck raven on her chest and she fell, her crackling shield dissipating under the force of the attack. Her red cloak floated over her, covering her body and face. She was panting heavily, and she turned her head sideways, just in time to see a padded foot come crashing down upon her face. She rolled over, the force of the kick pushing her near the edge of the rock plateau they fought upon. Raven approached her evil alter-ego, taking slow, short strides. Silence befell them; the only noise came from Raven's footsteps.

"What are you going to do when you return? How can you face your precious Mark, knowing that you killed all his friends, all YOUR friends?"

Raven stopped walking, her feet frozen in mid-stride.

"Shut up." She simply replied, her eyes devoid of any emotion.

"You killed them, and you enjoyed it, Raven. I could feel you inside me; you took pleasure in seeing Beast-Boy writhe in agony, every one of his molecules being torn away from the other as you blew his entire room, his entire _existence _into oblivion."

"Shut up!" She said again firmly.

"Or when you took apart Robin. You have quite the knack for dismantling things, don't you? He screamed the loudest. Do you remember when you took apart Kardiak…?" She broke off, leaving Raven to fill in the blanks and conjure up unwelcome images.

"Shut UP!" Raven demanded, her hair flaring and her eyes shining white.

"You seemed to have the most fun destroying Cyborg though. He was the one person who put up an actual fight, as he was awake during the time. He awoke to screams, Raven. But you eventually caught him. You caught him and made him suffer twice as much as the others for wasting your time."

"SHUT UP!" Raven screamed. She was listing off the events as if it were her greatest achievements, her smile growing with each memory implanted in Raven's mind. With one last grin, she rose to her feet and attacked Raven, her four eyes glowing red.

"_She will win, Mark, and you will destroy Trigon once and for all."_

"So be it." The figure calmly said. He began moving, one foot over the other, closing the distance between them at an almost stagnant rate. He seemed almost _detached_, as if he had more pressing matters to attend to.

"_When will this end?"_

"_Patience Mark, for it will all be over soon."_

Mark was extremely fatigued. He had used all his remaining energy in defeating Slade, and he had been fueled by pure anger and adrenalin ever since. Now that a lull in the action had occurred, he felt an amazing amount of weariness washing over his body, and dousing his spirit. He felt once again, hopeless. Powerless to change this twisted vision that had become a reality.

He suddenly felt a tightening sensation around his feet, as if he had stepped in a noose that had closed shut around his ankles. In a split second, he was hoisted in the air by an invisible rope, and no matter how he squirmed, he could not free himself from its vice-like grip. He drifted towards the figure involuntarily, his invisible bonds taking control of his movement. He swung limply upside down, his hands falling down over his head and scraping the asphalt below. His eyes were no longer shining a brilliant white, but had instead reverted back to their original color. He never saw the fiery fist crashing down on his face, only felt it. He felt the pain of his jaw being thrust back to his neck, felt his nose begin to crack, felt a piece of his tooth fall free from the side of his mouth, being washed out by the dark crimson blood that seeped freely from his mouth and nose. He was flung back, and his invisible bonds allowed for the sudden change in direction and velocity, carrying him back a dozen yards or so. When Mark came to a complete stop, his bonds once again carried him towards the red-skinned figure, and he only felt agony from that moment.

"_Get out of MY MIND!"_

A blistering beam of obsidian light emerged from Raven's palms a second after she muttered her special mantra. It rocketed towards a figure cloaked and hooded in red, and all it could do was stand and laugh as it was torn apart, piece by piece, shredded into nothingness.

"The damage has been done, Raven, and YOU caused it. Now there is nothing you can do about it! HAHAHAHA!" Her manic laughter penetrated Raven's mind, filling her with rage and hatred. With a final yell she slumped to the ground below her feet, feeling weary beyond her years.

"_Thwack!" The sound Mark's head made when it came into contact with Trigon's fist._


	16. Thy Daughter

**CHAPTER 15: Thy Daughter**

Mark could no longer summon up the strength to groan in pain, let alone defend himself against Trigon's vicious assault. He was slipping into unconsciousness, every blow on his face knocking him further back into darkness.

Then it stopped.

"Raven, back so soon? How would you like the honor of destroying this pathetic human and fulfilling the prophecy?" Trigon's deep, resonating voice echoed loudly, every word bouncing off of the destroyed city skyscrapers and crumbling walls.

"With pleasure." Raven replied, and with a cry of despair, Mark simply gave up. His eyelids closed, and his mind shut down in an attempt to heal the wounds that his body had endured. He didn't see the ball of energy forming on Raven's hands, didn't hear her muttering her incantation, but most of all, he didn't see the color of her cloak, and apparently neither did Trigon. It was no longer a violent Crimson, but a magnificent blue…

The relentless barrage of dark energy bolts struck their target with deadly efficiency, bullet-like in their ruthlessness. Trigon roared in anger as he lifted his arms in a futile attempt to defend himself against her daughter's attack.

"Foolish girl! All is lost, yet you still fight!" He taunted, his arms still held firmly in front of his face.

"Where have I heard that before? Oh yeah, when I was turning Red Raven into a crater."

Raven replied, the taunting tone in her voice similar to Trigon's.

So the final battle had begun.

Raven's pure azure eyes were filled with the same hatred that had fueled her cataclysmic behavior and turned the city into a smoldering ruin.

Trigon launched a dark beam of energy at his daughter, the sheer size of it astounding. It enveloped the street, reaching in between the buildings on either side of it. It pulsated a pitch black, and with a cry Raven placed her arms in front of her, creating a shield and effectively blocking the devastating attack.

Raven clenched her teeth, and shut her eyes in order to block the amazing amount of light emanating from the clash of pure energy. Perspiration made its way from her forehead and trickled down her face. So far, there was no sign of the relentless onslaught letting up. Trigon kept the flow of energy streaming from his palms, a grin plastered on his red-skinned face.

"No!"

Raven's shield was beginning to succumb to the weight, and cracks began to appear on its smooth black surface. She furrowed her brow and concentrated even harder, attempting to reinforce her shield.

Trigon's eyes widened slightly. His daughter was putting up a fair fight, and he was slowly tiring.

Raven concentrated, her power fueled by her limitless anger.

_Hatred isn't the strongest emotion… love is._

"Mark… You were right… I'm so sorry, sorry for everything." A single tear escaped from beneath her eyelid and trickled down her pale cheek, mingling with the perspiration on her face and becoming lost in droplets that fell from her skin.

Raven concentrated once more, but this time she was willing for something different to happen. She willed her shield to collapse, and at the last second, she spirited herself away, appearing right behind her Demonic father.

Trigon began to turn, but he was much to slow. Raven's padded foot crashed down upon his face, and he stumbled back, attempting to keep his balance. In a flash, Raven shot a beam of energy of her own from her palms, and it struck its target with deadly efficiency.

Trigon roared in pain and anger and retaliated with numerous fireballs, and they screamed with terrible velocity towards Raven.

"_Mark, you must not fail her now. Wake up…"_

'_Who are you?"_

"_Open your eyes, and you shall see…"_

Short chapter! Sorry people, the next one will be up soon, and I also apologize for the time I'm taking in posting this story. Keep an eye out for my sequel that I will post soon, titeld 'TRaTC, The Swinging Pendulum.' I already have a story titled that, but I'm completely re-writing it, so check once in a while!

And yes, the story will be ending soon. Hopefully you'll enjoy it just as much as I enjoyed writing it!


	17. Divinity

**CHAPTER 16: Divinity**

Mark opened his eyes, and was presented with a scene even more bizarre then the one he had experienced when he first woke up in his bed. This scene, however, was not utterly depressing, but what it lacked in dreariness, it made up for in sheer eccentricity. It was _surreal_. Raven and Trigon were simply frozen in mid-fight. Raven was motionless in mid-air, her hands extended in an attempt to attack her demonic father once again. Trigon was standing on the ground, his hood now flung off him, revealing snow-white hair that fell down to his waist, and two short horns that protruded from his skull. His grey cloak appeared to be flapping in the air, but it was unclear whether it hung in mid-air due to a sudden movement he had made, or because of a sudden shift in the wind. His face was frozen in an ugly grimace, which stopped just shy of being regarded as a sadistic smile. At least a dozen fireballs were heading towards Raven, but they too were frozen in mid-air.

Raven still had her hood upon her head, casting an eerie aura upon her face. She seemed almost angelic, her heart and mind ready to slay the Demon that had wormed its way into our world, and who was also her father. Now however, her actions had slowed to the point of stopping entirely, putting her mission on hold for the time being.

"_What happened? Why are they not moving?"_

"_Your fight as two is over. It is time you became what you were born to be."_

"Mark..." The voice, it seemed, _real._ Where it came from, however, he had no idea.

"Who _are _you?" Mark asked timidly, making no effort to hide the weariness in his voice.

"The two will become one, Mark. The two will become one, in order to defeat this Demon." The voice belonged to a female, Mark surmised. It was slow and comforting, almost like a lullaby.

"What are you talking about?" Mark asked exasperatedly.

"Just trust me." A character bathed in brilliant light appeared from behind Raven's still form, approaching Mark with the grace of an angel. She seemed to be floating effortlessly, hovering just above a world that remained in stark contrast to her beautiful form.

"Do not despair. You will defeat him. I will help you, for it is your destiny."

As the figure approached, Mark was able to see her features much more clearly. She was an amazing woman. Her flowing blonde hair fell down to her petit waist, and her dazzling emerald green eyes rivaled Starfire's. Her skin radiated a golden energy, and she halted in front of Mark. She extended a small hand, and gazed at Mark as she continued.

"Take my hand, for I will assist you."

Mark was unable to reply. He was still in awe at her dazzling beauty coupled with her honey sweet voice, and he was simply speechless.

He looked at her auriferous hand, and with a final sigh he took it.

"_Please, let this be the end."_

The feminine figure shone with limitless energy, and traveled up his arm and into his very soul through his open hand. Mark was no longer weary, he no longer felt despaired and hopeless. He was channeling a being more divine then himself, and the time had come to banish Trigon for good.

_"You will defeat him, I will help you. Trust me..."_

Like an old steam locomotive picking up speed, time once again resumed its course. Excruciatingly slow at first, but it quickened, and before long it had reached its normality.

Mark saw Raven dodging her father's fireballs desperately whilst launching numerous livid energy bolts of her own. It was clear to both Mark and Trigon, however, that she was tiring.

With a roar Trigon launched a massive pillar of fire towards Raven, the sheer size of it simply stunned her and she remained motionless, like a deer staring down a pair of headlights.

Mark lifted his hand and shot a small beam of energy of his own, except his traveled at a directly perpendicular direction then Trigon's. It struck the pillar of fire and simply kept traveling, pushing the fire away from its intended target and extinguishing it rather harmlessly on the wall of an abandoned office building.

Trigon's eyes widened for a split second, before narrowing in pure hatred.

"So, you decided to come back for more." Trigon spat. Mark didn't bother replying.

He approached Raven slowly, his eyes flaming white and his hair in its brightened state for a final time. He extended his hand; much like the mysterious woman did, and uttered four simple words.

"Do you trust me?"

Raven simply nodded.

She did.

Raven took his hand, and the world around them stopped.

_"They were alike...Crow and Raven. They had many amazing abilities._

_They were spiritually profound._

_They had achieved a level of thinking alike higher then that of brother and sister, of husband and wife. _

_They were one. But whether they had realized that was uncertain._

_Much like how Larry the Titan was Robin's alter ego from a parallel dimension, so was Raven and Crow alike."_

"It's finally over." Mark whispered, and he closed his eyes momentarily, before turning to face Trigon.

"This madness has gone far enough, Trigon. It's time to end this, now."

"What are you talking about?" Trigon scoffed. He had seen the changes that had overcome both Mark and Raven, however, and deep in the back of his soulless mind, a slight doubt flickered for a mere iota of a second.

"I will end this, do not worry, Marcus." Trigon said confidently, his yellow eyes burning.

Mark didn't reply. He turned to Raven once more, and smiled.

She smiled back.

Mark opened his mouth and uttered an incantation that had not been spoken in Trigon's lifetime.

"Azerath Duo Creo Unus Fundo Filius Diabolus!"

His voice echoed resolutely amongst the shadows, and for a second, Trigon began to laugh. It was then, however, that he felt it; another presence, something infinitely more powerful then himself.

A black spherical shield enveloped the two, and a brilliant light began to glow from the inside. It was faint to begin with, but it soon brightened to the point of turning the shield yellow. The pressure from the inside was all too much for the obsidian shield, and pure white cracks began to appear on its smooth surface, releasing beams of light from inside.

A strong wind had picked up, and before long it created a howling vortex around the cracking black sphere that contained the pair.

The pair, however, was no longer a pair anymore

_The two had become one, in order to defeat the son of Satan._

With a hollow 'whoosh', the vortex of howling wind evaporated into the air, revealing a small figure dressed in a grey cloak and hood. The figure floated forward, the hood casting a shadow, concealing the color of its eyes and the expression on its face.

"What? No. No it's not pos-." Trigon began, but he was cut off abruptly by the grey clothed figure.

"Silence." It said simply. With a raised arm the figure muttered a final incantation.

"Ego Pello Pepulli Pulsum Tu".

"This is impossible! It's just not conceivable! How can you-." Trigon started, but he was unable to finish his statement. His skin and cloak started to darken, black spots appearing on their surface and spreading like ink all over his body.

Trigon strained to speak, to fight off the blackness that enveloped him, but it was no use. He could no longer see the strange figure standing in front of him, calm and resolute. All he could see was black, and with a horrifying yell, he felt himself being torn apart as he was banished from this physical plane.

"Noo!" Piece by piece, molecule by molecule, he was being torn apart, sickeningly ironic to how he managed to dispatch most of the other Titans. He could feel the pain, the excruciating agony, and he was for once powerless to stop it. The curse was older then the planet he walked on, and more powerful then the servants of Satan.

_"The one must become two, for the energy it creates can tear the fabric of time and space..."_

With a silent grace, the figured lowered itself to the ground, its padded feet disturbing not even a speck of dirt. It made no sound, no action, to betray its feelings towards a world torn. It simply gazed at the ruins, its black cloak flapping in the wind.

No sound emerged from the figure as it crumpled to its knees, and a light began to emerge from its body.

No sound emerged from the figure's lips, as a massive explosion occurred within every cell of its body.

No sound emerged from the lips of Mark and Raven, as they lay unconscious on the rubble beneath them.

The wind howled its haunting wail, and for the first time since he woke up, Mark was finally at peace.


	18. Intermission

**CHAPTER 17: Intermission**

They say time heals all wounds, but such pain that has been inflicted, such _horror_, how is it even conceivable to believe such a statement as bold as that?

_You have done it! You have fulfilled your true prophecy!_

_What do you mean 'True'? I had more then one?_

_Everyone on this planet has three. One, a prophecy laid out by The Devil, the other by God._

_And what about the third one?_

_The third one is the prophecy you create, as an individual._

_Well, which prophecy did I take?_

_You did not fall to the darkness, that much is obvious. But whether you chose the divine path or an independent one, only He knows._

_So… He knew I was going to do this?_

_Dear Mark, He is everywhere. He is in the past, the present, and the future. He knows everything, but it all comes down to choice. In the end, He allowed you to choose. Which path you chose, however, I do not know. I am sorry Mark, but I must now leave. Farewell._

_Wait! What is going to happen now? What are we going to do in a world that doesn't need us? In a world with such death and destruction?_

_My Dear Mark, your path has now been cemented into strings of time. You and Raven have banished Trigon back to his dimension, your work in this world is done, and so is Raven's._

_So… What do we do now? What about the others? The other Titans?_

_I am sorry, I did not explain my intentions properly. You will be transported back to a time before this. Before the Earth died. _

_Wait. You mean, travel back in time? But the future has been written. How can we change that?_

_Mark… Do you not remember? You summed up what I am attempting to say just a few days ago! The future has not been written! You have lived it, yes, but once you travel back, it will become uncertain once more…_

_But, how do we prevent Raven turning evil?_

_You have already prevented it…_

_How?_

_That is a question that not even your mother can answer. You can only ask Him, and hope for an answer._

_My mother?_

_Goodbye, Dear Mark. Take care of Raven and the rest of the Titans._

* * *

Really tiny chapter, so I decided to post the last one as well. 


	19. Unleashed

**CHAPTER 18: Unleashed**

"But I-." He began, but he was cut off abruptly by what he saw. His whole body tingled, and his jaw simply dropped. He was back in his room, and everything seemed _normal_.

He sat up sharply and hit his hand on his wall, partly to make sure it's real, and partly to test if he was dreaming or not.

He wasn't dreaming, and the wall was most definitely real.

"_No… this is just some sort of sick joke. It can't be true."_

"_Oh, so you believe that the world ends one night, but yet you find it hard to swallow that it, well, got better?"_

How could he answer that? He rose from his bed, stumbling forward and falling to the ground. His legs still didn't operate and obey the commands given to them by his mind.

He winced in pain as he extended his legs and started to rub them vigorously. He was still in shock.

"_No. It's not true. I don't care what you say."_

"_Maybe the world ending wasn't true? Perhaps that was just a dream."_

"But it felt so… _real_" He spoke softly to no-one in particular.

"How can this happen? It makes no SENSE!" Mark's hair started brightening, and he quickly closed his eyes and willed himself to relax.

"Maybe… it was just a dream. Or maybe a vision. I don't know…"

Mark broke down and cradled his head in his hands. Everything was so overwhelming, all the pain he had endured, and all the torment and heartache he had been through. Was it really just a dream? Impossible…

"_It was not a dream… A greater force played a part, and sent you back to where you belong."_

_I didn't believe it, but something struck me as suspicious._

"_I belong here? But what about… my home?"_

_I grinded my teeth. I knew what was about to be spoken._

"_This is your home."_

_Strangely though, now that they were spoken from a being so eerily familiar, yet with infinite more wisdom, the well-worn saying made a lot more sense…_

With a gaseous 'Whoosh', the door of his room opened, and he was greeted with five pairs of astonished eyes. Mark's eyes widened in horror, and he stumbled back, looking wildly around his room. He was unable to speak, unable to question the fact that everything seemed normal.

"Mark? Are you ok?" Robin asked slowly, Raven standing right beside him.

"_Raven?"_

"Raven? But how did we… I mean, how did you… What happened?"

Raven gave him a perplexed look, but wasn't able to reply.

Robin answered the question for him. "Er… Nothing happened. We were sleeping, and then we all heard a bang coming from here. Are you ok?"

Mark looked at his room once again, and with a hesitant nod, he replied.

"Yeah… I think so."

Beast-Boy rolled his eyes despairingly.

"Well, that's good enough for me. I'm going to bed." He exclaimed, and trundled off to his room.

Robin eyed Mark wearily. There was something _different _about him. It was like the warehouse all over again.

With a slight shake of his head he withdrew himself from Mark's room and left for his own, closely followed by Cyborg and Starfire.

Raven stayed behind. Something tingled from within her, it was a strange feeling, she had felt it while she was sleeping, and that is why she had awoken. She approached Mark and sat on his bed, gazing at the confused teenager.

"Mark, what happened?" She asked, precise and to the point.

Mark looked at her strangely for a moment, and then he replied.

"You mean, you don't remember?"

Raven shook her head. She didn't.

"But… It was so… real. So vivid! How could you not?" Mark asked desperately.

"I don't know what happened, Mark."

"Mark, I found something before…" She began, withdrawing a long, burgundy coloured piece of material from her thigh pocket. Mark eyed this item closely, and then he gasped silently. It was his school tie.

"It was in the bin. Why did you throw it away?" She asked, her azure eyes gazing deeply into Mark's.

Mark averted his gaze and looked out his window.

"I thought… I felt… That I wouldn't need it anymore." He finally replied.

Raven tilted her head to the left slightly, her purple hair swaying slightly.

"Mark, we will find a way to get you back home. I promise. But you just can't throw away something that is most probably the only thing you have left to remind you of where you came from. It's a part of you, you can't just discard it."

Raven began, her monotonous voice strangely comforting to him.

Mark lifted his gaze from the window and looked back at Raven.

"Come with me." He simply said, and led her towards the window. He opened it slowly, and floated out, with Raven by his side.

He looked upon the majestic city below, its proud pillars of steel and concrete still remaining firm and unmoved. Not a single resident had any idea what horrors they could have endured, had it not been for Mark and Crow.

"_Perhaps, they are yet to endure what is to become an inevitability."_

"I don't exactly know how, Raven, but if it wasn't for us, the city, and perhaps the _world, _would have simply ceased to exist."

Raven looked at Mark strangely.

"Ugh." Raven exclaimed as she clutched her head. She had been getting sudden pangs of pain recently, and she could feel the hate bubble and boil beneath her delicate porcelain skin.

"Raven? What's wrong?" Mark asked worriedly.

It was pointless to keep the truth from Mark, as he most likely already suspected it.

"Lately, my…evil side has been trying to get out. Trying to escape. She's getting stronger, Mark. I can feel it. I don't know if-." Mark raised a hand to cut her off.

Raven had been brought up to fear hatred her whole life. She had never realized that, for an emotion so powerful, it is ultimately self-destructive. There were no 'multiple personalities' in Raven's mind. They were simply manifested emotions that took on a form that best suited them. She had rightly feared her emotions, never allowing them to get out of hand. Hatred, however, had dominated in her mind. She was constantly in battle with it, Reason versus Madness, Hatred versus Love. This battle tore her, ran her down, until she began to seclude herself from others, building up an impenetrable wall and cutting herself off from the emotions of others. She had stopped feeding her emotions, and it had put her to rest, for a while. Now a newcomer had arrived, and had torn that wall down in less then a _week._

Now Mark had realized what the voice had meant. This was the final step in his journey. He began to speak.

"Raven, Hatred may be getting stronger, but it never was, and never will be, the strongest." He started. He had eyes only for her now, and she him.

"Hatred isn't the strongest emotion…" He pulled Raven closer gently, tentatively wrapping a hand around her slender waist.

Their eyes were mere inches from each other, and Raven opened her mouth to finish his sentence.

"Love is." That was it. She had no idea how she knew this, but deep down, hidden in a dark corner of her heart, that word had been dying to be freed, to escape its cold prison.

Mark pulled Raven even closer, and with his eyes closed he kissed her passionately, and time once again had stopped for the two. Raven was stunned for a mere split-second, and with a silent cry of passion she kissed him back, unleashing all her emotions of love and adoration upon him. Mark didn't feel any pain, only elation, as Raven's black magic enveloped the two. It sparked with fury, but neither of them was affected. A white orb emerged from Mark's heart and merged with Raven's, turning it into a dull gray, much like the figure's cloak that had banished Trigon an hour, yet a lifetime ago.

Their world melted away into the starry night's sky, and all they knew was each other.

The two had become one, once more.

_Time is an inevitability. It is the only force on this physical plane that dictates our actions, and not the other way around. It is also the only force that we have never been able to manipulate, only speculate. Many theories have arisen regarding our past, present, and future. One thing is certain however. Two thousand, three hundred and sixty four years ago to the moment the two beings kissed, the cradle of civilization and life itself was fighting a desperate battle against the forces of Satan. From the ashes of a fallen demon, a new hero would be born. This is for another time however, as you, the dear followers of this tale, deserve a well-earned rest. Farewell young listeners, and soon his tale will be told._

* * *

Well everyone, there you have it. The final chapter, and the conclusion to my story. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it, and keep an eye out for my sequel which I will re-write. Pay no heed to the ones that are already up if you had read them before I took them down. I'm making a fresh start almost, and I hope you can read it and respond once it's up.

Cheers, and goodbye for now, from your resident Dimmy.


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